Slough councillor censured after probe finds bullying and harassment of local garage

Standards committee finds misconduct in dispute with garage

A Slough councillor has been publicly censured after a formal standards investigation found evidence of bullying and harassment during a protracted dispute with a local car repair business.

The council’s Standards Committee concluded that Upton ward Cllr Subash Mohindra breached the members’ code of conduct in incidents that took place between April and October 2025. The committee found three proven breaches, including disrespectful behaviour, bullying and harassment and improper use of his position as a councillor.

• Subject of complaint: Bucks Car Repairs (BCR), located in The Myrke off Datchet Road.
• Findings: three breaches of the code of conduct.
• Sanction: formal censure, required further training and recommendation to take part in conciliation with the business.

Documents circulated to the committee describe a pattern of behaviour directed at both individual staff members and the business, with staff reporting they felt “targeted” and under “a lot of pressure”. The report says those working at the garage believed the councillor had a “personal vendetta” against the company and that he had organised weekly meetings with neighbours over the matter.

“The committee unanimously found clear evidence that the nature and pattern of behaviour amounted to bullying and harassment, both of the individual staff members and BCR [Bucks Car Repairs] as a business.”

The chair of the Standards Committee, Cllr Dexter Smith (Con, Colnbrook & Poyle), described the findings as “concerning”, saying such conduct had “no place in local government”. As a result of the investigation Cllr Mohindra has been formally censured — meaning an official public statement of wrongdoing has been recorded — and instructed to undertake further training about his role.

The committee also recommended that the councillor participate in conciliation with Bucks Car Repairs should the business be willing to take part. Two videos were cited as evidence during the hearing; in one clip Cllr Mohindra was recorded saying he was “higher than an MP” during an altercation outside the garage. The committee questioned him about that remark and its implications for his conduct.

Local implications and community response

For residents and small businesses in Slough, the case highlights tensions that can arise when elected representatives engage directly in local disputes. The garage staff told investigators the pressure they experienced was affecting the business and staff wellbeing. The recommendation of conciliation suggests the committee considered a remedial route that might repair relations, if the business is willing.

Formal censure and mandated training are among the stronger non-removal remedies available under local standards procedures. While the sanction does not strip a councillor of office, it places a public record against their name and can influence public and party perceptions. The committee’s finding of an improper use of position is particularly significant, since it addresses whether a councillor leveraged their role in a way that disadvantaged others.

Slough Borough Council’s standards processes are intended to ensure accountability and maintain public trust in local office-holders. The outcome in this case serves as a reminder that councillors are expected to manage local disputes without resorting to conduct that could be judged as intimidating or improper.

The committee’s report, and the supporting evidence it considered, will now form part of the public record for the borough. It remains for the parties involved to decide whether to pursue the suggested conciliation, a step that could be significant for the future relationship between the councillor, neighbours and the local business community.