Paul Bean may have breached civil service impartiality rules over alleged social media posts

Campaigners have complained to the Home Office after it was revealed a councillor for Reform UK also works for the government department processing asylum and immigration claims.

Paul Bean, who serves as a councillor for Crook ward at Durham county council, declared his day job as a civil servant at the Home Office in his register of interests.

His role emerged after an investigation by the anti-extremism organisation Hope Not Hate. The group found posts criticising asylum seekers on a social media account they claim belongs to Bean.

“I work as an asylum decision maker for the HO [Home Office] and I can tell you with authority that 93% of asylum seekers to the UK are men between 18 – 35 and 92% of them are refused asylum,” posts on the account read, adding: “The truth is the vast majority of asylum seekers are actually economic migrants abusing the asylum system.”