Luton Borough Council sacked employee for social media breach, FoI shows

In response to the request submitted by the BBC, Luton Borough Council has said that in 2014/15 it reprimanded two employees for breaching protocols on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tinder and Flickr.

One employee was suspended for four and a half months, before being dismissed by LBC.

Another resigned after being suspended for four days.

In 2013/14 one employee was warned over breaking social media rules, while another was handed a suspension.

In the last five years not one LBC employee has been warned or suspended for accessing pornographic websites, the response also shows.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: “Councils are clear that while some personal use of social media at work is acceptable, it must be reasonable and appropriate in terms of both the time spent and the content.

“The vast majority of council employees abide by that.

“Councils take very seriously any misuse and, as these figures show, will deal robustly with cases that are unacceptable.”