The Audit Hearings Sub-Committee of Doncaster Council met on Wednesday 24 September 2025. The meeting was scheduled to consider an Investigating Officer's report regarding complaints against Councillor Mark Broadhurst of Hatfield Town Council and City of Doncaster Council. The Sub-Committee was also scheduled to consider whether to exclude the public and press from the meeting.

Complaints against Councillor Mark Broadhurst

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider the Investigating Officer's Report regarding complaints against Councillor Mark Broadhurst of Hatfield Town Council and City of Doncaster Council.

According to the Notice of Finding, two complaints were made against Councillor Mark Broadhurst relating to two separate posts made on his Facebook page.

• One post, dated 19 March 2024, contained a picture of Adolf Hitler with a caption.
• The second post, dated 30 March 2024, was entitled How to make a Muslim followed by 4 pictures of an Asian man with captions.

The Notice of Finding indicates that the Sub-Committee accepted the Investigating Officer's findings that Councillor Mark Broadhurst had failed to comply with paragraphs 1.2, 2.3, 5.1 and 8.2 of the Codes of Conduct adopted by both City of Doncaster Council and Hatfield Town Council.

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider the following sanctions against Councillor Mark Broadhurst:

• That Councillor Mark Broadhurst be censured and reprimanded for his actions.
• That the Sub-Committee's findings in respect of Councillor Mark Broadhurst's conduct be published on City of Doncaster Council's website and to recommend to Hatfield Town Council that the Sub-Committee's findings be published on its website.
• That the Sub-Committee's findings be reported to the next meeting of City of Doncaster Council for information.
• To recommend to City of Doncaster Council that Councillor Mark Broadhurst not be appointed to any Committee positions or membership of any Outside Body roles for the remainder of his current electoral term.
• That the Sub-Committee's findings be reported to Hatfield Town Council for consideration.
• To recommend that Hatfield Town Council remove Councillor Mark Broadhurst from his position as Deputy Mayor.
• To recommend that Hatfield Town Council remove Councillor Mark Broadhurst from its Personnel Committee.
• To recommend to Hatfield Town Council that Councillor Mark Broadhurst undertakes training at the expense of Hatfield Town Council on Equalities and that upon completion this be reported back to CDC's Monitoring Officer.

Exclusion of Public and Press

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider the extent, if any, to which the public and the press are to be excluded from the meeting.