A COUNCILLOR embroiled in a love triangle has been given a warning by police in relation to alleged harassment of a fellow councillor and love rival.

Eastleigh borough councillor Louise Bloom has been issued with a harassment warning after Cllr Tonia Craig made an allegation against her to Hampshire police.

Now there has been a call for Cllr Bloom to resign and for an independent investigation into how the whole situation was allowed to develop in the first place.

As previously reported, Cllr Craig called in Hampshire officers claiming she has been the victim of a campaign of text and social media abuse.

The Daily Echo understands that Cllr Bloom, 50, was voluntarily interviewed in relation to this before she was issued with the warning.

It is not a formal police caution or conviction but is designed to deter someone from particular behaviour.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: “Officers investigated an allegation of harassment after a 43-year-old woman from Bursledon reported receiving abusive text and social media messages between February 2014 and February 2015.

“A 50-year-old woman from Hedge End was voluntarily interviewed in connection with the incident and has been issued an harassment warning.”

Daily Echo: Eastleigh councillors Louise Bloom, Keith House and Tonia Craig.

The Daily Echo reported last year how council leader Cllr Keith House, 49, had struck up a relationship with fellow councillor Tonia Craig, 43, having ended his relationship with Cllr Bloom.

Cllr Craig, of Bursledon and Old Netley ward, was promoted to join the Cabinet as member for health and safety – alongside Cllr House and his former partner of 14 years Cllr Bloom.

Cllr Bloom, of Hedge End Grange Park ward, has not attended a Cabinet meeting since April last year, missing the last nine, but did turn up to a Hedge End, West End and Botley Local Area Committee last month – the first since September last year.

Deputy leader of Eastleigh Borough Council Cllr Anne Winstanley has previously said that Cllr Bloom, who is member for environment and sustainability, had been suffering from “serious health problems” which had limited her ability to attend meetings.

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that harassment warnings do not constitute formal legal action and signing one does not imply that the person receiving it admits doing anything wrong or even that the allegations are true.

But calling for her resignation, Mark Latham, Labour parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh, said: “If her conduct has fallen short of normal standards, which it would if there was a harassment notice, then she should resign.

“While Cllr Bloom deserves a fair hearing Eastleigh’s people deserve good governance and the failed Local Plan (blueprint for future development in the borough) indicates senior Cabinet members have had their minds elsewhere.

“We have already called on her to resign for not turning up to meetings.”

Daily Echo:

Patricia Culligan (pictured above), UKIP’s Eastleigh parliamentary candidate, said: “I’m sure she [Louise Bloom] will want to consider her position.

“I personally would be questioning the leadership that has allowed this situation to happen.

“There’s a need for another view on all this – somebody coming in from outside from another council and having a look at what’s going on in Eastleigh Borough Council.”

Glynn Davies-Dear, chairman of Eastleigh UKIP, added: “These people have my sympathy but they really need to consider whether they are serving the public as they’re supposed to be doing.”

Cllr Godfrey Olson, leader of the opposition, said the saga was a distraction from the running of the council.

Cllrs Bloom and House did not respond to the Daily Echo’s attempts to contact them and Cllr Craig declined to comment.

Eastleigh Borough Council and Eastleigh Liberal Democrats declined to comment.