Peterborough City Council has ruled that Independent Councillor Kirsty Knight breached the Members’ Code of Conduct following a formal ethics hearing into allegations of misconduct. The council’s Constitution and Ethics Sub-Committee upheld findings of bullying, abuse of position and conduct bringing her office into disrepute.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Constitution and Ethics Sub-Committee on Wednesday 21 January, which was convened to determine a Code of Conduct complaint made by a member of the public against Cllr Knight, who represents Orton Waterville on Peterborough City Council.
The complaint arose from an interaction at a resident’s home in March 2025. Following an initial assessment, council officers concluded that the Members’ Code of Conduct had been engaged, breached and that informal resolution was not appropriate. A full council investigation was therefore carried out.
Ethics hearing findings
After reviewing written and oral evidence, including representations submitted by Cllr Knight, the ethics panel found that she had breached the Code of Conduct in three areas.
The panel ruled that Cllr Knight breached paragraph 3.1.2 of the Code of Conduct relating to bullying. While it did not find evidence of harassment or unlawful discrimination, the panel concluded that her behaviour towards the complainant amounted to bullying under council standards.
The panel also found that Cllr Knight breached paragraph 3.1.5 by bringing her office as a councillor into disrepute. However, it did not find that her conduct brought Peterborough City Council itself into disrepute.
In addition, the panel upheld a breach of paragraph 3.1.6, concluding that Cllr Knight abused her position as an elected councillor during the interaction.
Sanctions imposed by Peterborough City Council
Having upheld the complaint, the Constitution and Ethics Sub-Committee considered what sanctions were appropriate. The panel agreed that its findings should be published as part of the council’s transparency obligations.
Cllr Knight was ordered to issue a written apology to the complainant and a formal apology to Full Council. The panel also required her to undertake appropriate training on the Members’ Code of Conduct.
The ethics panel further agreed to recommend to Full Council that Cllr Knight be removed from her role as Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee. The recommendation will now be considered by the full council.
Background to the misconduct investigation
The misconduct case has been ongoing for several months and has been subject to delays. A hearing originally scheduled for September 2025 was postponed due to procedural issues. A subsequent hearing in December was adjourned after panel members raised concerns over the clarity of key audio evidence. A transcript was later produced and shared with all parties before the hearing resumed.
The investigation was carried out by the council’s deputy monitoring officer and reviewed by both the monitoring officer and an independent person, as required under the Localism Act 2011. All agreed that the complaint should proceed to a formal ethics hearing.
Cllr Knight was elected to Peterborough City Council in 2021 as a Green Party councillor but resigned from the party in 2023. She has since served as an independent councillor for Orton Waterville. She provided written submissions to the ethics panel but has not issued a public statement following the ruling.
