A housing boss has apologised for ‘the profound hurt and upset’ caused after photos of him dressed as a Nazi as part of a sex game were published in a Sunday newspaper.
In an exclusive interview, Gareth Mead, who has since been sacked as assistant director of housing options at Hammersmith & Fulham Council, said text messages containing highly offensive racist language, published by the Sunday Mirror, were sent as part of ‘fantasy role-play’.
The 44-year-old insists that he is not a Nazi or a racist and gave a public apology for ‘the profound hurt and upset I’ve caused through the reporting of the comments attributed to me in the press’. He also gave details about his childhood which he thinks led to his involvement in an ‘extreme sexual fetish scene’.
Although Mr Mead insisted that his private life never impacted upon his work, he said he is not going to take action against his former employer for unfair dismissal.
However, he has lodged a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission against The Sunday Mirror newspaper because the story it published on its website described him as a ‘secret Nazi’.
"There’s a big difference between fantasy role-playing and a silly sex game, and real life,’ added Mr Mead.
Inside Housing
