A former deputy leader of Enfield Council has become the second elected official in under a year to face accusations of bullying.

Cllr Daniel Anderson, a Labour councillor who represents Southgate Green, could be banned from council offices for two months after four members of staff complained about his behaviour.

In a letter to Cllr Anderson seen by the Enfield Independent, Enfield Council’s monitoring officer ruled he had breached the local authority’s code of conduct and bullied officers.

Cllr Anderson – who was deputy leader of the council from May 2018 to May 2019, and before that cabinet member for environment – has denied the allegations and said he would appeal against the decision.

The monitoring officer’s letter details claims by three council officers, referred to by their initials, that Cllr Anderson engaged in “threatening and uncontrolled” behaviour.

All three said Cllr Anderson called them “idiots”, while two of them claimed he threatened they could lose their jobs.

A fourth officer, whose case is detailed separately, claimed Cllr Anderson “lost his temper and threatened him by stating that he ‘would cut his f***ing balls off’ and that he would be sacked”.

According to the investigating officer, all four complainants said Cllr Anderson’s behaviour “crossed a line from robust and challenging to aggressive and threatening”, and one of them said he had “never experienced anything like this from other councillors he has dealt with”.

The monitoring officer states Cllr Anderson “failed to treat officers with respect on several occasions”, breaching two parts of the code of conduct.

His letter also states that on several occasions Cllr Anderson’s behaviour went “beyond robust challenge and legitimate free expression and amounted to bullying of officers” – breaching another section of the code of conduct.

Cllr Anderson has been told to issue a written apology and to promise not to repeat the behaviour – and he could be banned from council offices for two months, subject to the outcome of an appeal hearing.

It is the second time in under a year that Enfield Council has been hit by reports of bullying.

In June last year, council leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan was found to have bullied a colleague and breached the code of conduct following an investigation.

Commenting on the current case, Cllr Caliskan said: “The report into the conduct of Cllr Anderson was shared with me in my capacity as leader of the Labour Group. It is utterly unacceptable that any council officer has had to endure such experiences.

“I would like to acknowledge the bravery of those Enfield Council officers who have come forward and spoken out.

“We must continue to ensure that anyone who is threatening and abusive to our hard-working council officers takes full responsibility for their actions.”

On Friday (March 6), Cllr Anderson issued a press statement “emphatically” denying the allegations and findings of the investigation.

Cllr Anderson criticised the report for apparently being “written in haste” and the verdict “based on hearsay from a handful of officers”.

Cllr Anderson added: “Completely unsubstantiated and often libellous allegations against me have been accepted as a given, whilst internal guidelines, procedures and protocols under which I have been investigated have been breached.

“All this, it seems, in order to deliver a pre-determined verdict.

“I will therefore be appealing the decision and will bring to bear the full weight of evidence that will prove my case.

“Throughout my time as a councillor, I have always sought to put residents’ concerns at the very heart of the decision-making process and will continue to do so.

“I will not be silenced, and the truth will come out.”

Cllr Anderson also claimed Enfield Council had become “a controversy ridden, divided administration” during the past two years.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of this nature extremely seriously, and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate action is taken.”

If Cllr Anderson appeals the decision, it could be referred to the council’s conduct committee, which could confirm or overturn the ruling, or impose different sanctions.