Devon County Council has responded to today’s guilty verdict for former council leader Brian Greenslade, who was convicted of sexual assaulting three women in the 1990s and 2000s.

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: “Our thoughts are with the survivors who suffered at the hands of Brian Greenslade.

“We are pleased that our actions in 2017 in response to complaints from members of council staff have helped to shine a light on the issue of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct in the workplace and particularly when involving those in positions of authority.

“This council has very firm and clear expectations with regards to the conduct of all its staff and elected members including how councillors interact with the council’s employees. We will always take allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour and harassment very seriously and act swiftly.

“When allegations of this nature came to light in 2017, we acted quickly to thoroughly investigate them as part of our procedures, and the strongest possible sanctions on the former councillor were imposed. Most importantly all staff impacted have been supported and continue to be so.”

Click here to find out more about today's verdict.