UK councillor charged for saying Nigerians should be melted down and used to fill potholes

Glenn Gibbins, a Reform UK councillor in Sunderland, has been charged over an alleged offensive social media post about Nigerians.

• The charge was brought under the UK's Communications Act 2003 after being authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service. 

• The post allegedly suggested Nigerians should be "melted down" and used to fill potholes. 

• Gibbins is due to appear before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on 21 August 2026. 

A councillor in the United Kingdom has been charged after allegedly posting a social media comment saying Nigerians should be "melted down" and used to fill potholes.

Glenn Gibbins, a 66-year-old councillor representing the Reform UK party in Sunderland, was charged under the Communications Act 2003 over what police described as a "grossly offensive" social media post referencing the Nigerian community. 

According to Northumbria Police, the charge relates to a post made in 2024. The force said it received a report about the post in May 2026 and launched an investigation before submitting a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which authorised the charge. 

The post allegedly read: "Can't believe the amount of Nigerians in town … should melt them all down and fill in the potholes." It resurfaced after Gibbins was elected to Sunderland City Council during the UK's local elections in May, prompting widespread condemnation and an internal party investigation. 

Gibbins is scheduled to appear before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on 21 August 2026. Police have urged members of the public to avoid speculating about the case while legal proceedings are ongoing. 

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The case has also reignited political criticism of Reform UK. The party initially suspended Gibbins after the comments came to light, but his handling by the party later became the subject of criticism from political opponents after reports that he had been reinstated before the criminal charge was announced. 

The charge does not amount to a finding of guilt. Under the UK legal system, Gibbins remains presumed innocent unless and until a court finds him guilty.