Humberside Police are currently probing Luke Campbell,the Reform UK mayor for the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, following claims he displayed explicit photos of himself to a female employee. The alleged incident occurred in a Hull office this past May and is currently being denied by Campbell.
Four naked images and a Hull office confrontation
According to documents seen by The Observer, the investigation centers on an incident in May where Luke Campbell allegedly called a senior female staff member to his desk in a central Hull office to show her four naked and sexualized images of himself on a computer. The report says the woman felt shocked and humiliated, particularly as other male staff members reportedly laughed at her reaction to the images.
Humberside Police have already interviewed the 39-year-old mayor under caution earlier this month. While Luke Campbell has not been arrested or charged with any offense, the allegations include a separate instance where he allegedly lowered his trouser waistband to reveal a tattoo and a tan line on his lower abdomen to a colleague.
The withdrawn permanent job offer and internal proceedings
The fallout from the May incident extends beyond the police probe into the employment status of the accuser . As The Observer reported, the female staff member had a permanent job offer withdrawn just three weeks after the alleged exposure to the explicit images. This has triggered internal proceedings within the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, as the woman asserts the offer was rescinded because she rejected unwanted sexual contact.
A spokesperson for the combined authority has confirmed that a standards process is being engaged to handle complaints about members, alongside a separate complaints procedure for officers. The authority maintains that these processes must be conducted in a fair and independent manner to determine the validity of the claims.
Five resignation demands and the first-class ticket dispute
The current police investigation is the latest in a series of workplace conflicts involving Luke Campbell. The mayor previously faced scrutiny for allegedly creating a toxic working environment, which culminated in August of last year when he reportedly demanded that five members of staff resign after accusing civil servants of undermining his leadership.
Further friction arose shortly after Luke Campbell took office regarding his travel expenses. He reportedly clashed with officials over attempts to claim first-class train tickets, a move that would have breached government rules. An independent remuneration panel eventually intervened, clarifying that the mayor is only permitted to claim for standard class travel. Additionally, the mayor's office faced tension when he was barred from hiring ex-UKIP official Robin Hunter-Clarke and Reform digital strategist Jack Anderton as political advisers .
ITV's undercover probe and the Reform UK 'rising star'
The allegations against Luke Campbell emerge at a precarious moment for Reform UK. The party is currently facing an upcoming ITV undercover investigation, scheduled to air this Sunday, which reportedly captures several councillors using sexist and racist language. This suggests a broader pattern of behavioral concerns within the party's local ranks.
For Luke Campbell, the stakes are particularly high given his rapid ascent. a 2012 London Olympic gold medalist in boxing and an MBE recipient, Campbell was viewed as a rising star for Reform UK, having entered politics only recently before his 2025 election as Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. The current police and internal probes now threaten to derail a political career that had barely begun.
Who witnessed the May incident and what is the settlement claim?
Several critical details remain unverified or contested. While the report mentions that a witness provided a separate account of the May incident, the identity and status of this witness have not been disclosed. Furthermore, Reform UK has offered a starkly different narrative, with a party spokesperson claiming the allegations are the work of a "disgruntled employee" who is attempting to use a meritless workplace dispute to leverage a financial settlement.
It remains unclear whether the combined authority's internal proceedings will conclude before the Humberside Police finish their criminal investigation, or if the results of the standards process will be made public given the sensitivity of the sexual harassment claims.
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