Luke Campbell, the Reform UK mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, is under police investigation following allegations that he displayed naked images of himself to a female member of staff.
The 39-year-old leader of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) is accused of asking a senior female employee to come to his desk before showing her four “naked and sexualised images” of himself on a computer.
The alleged incident reportedly took place at a central Hull office in May and was said to have been witnessed by another colleague.
About three weeks later, the woman was allegedly informed that an offer of permanent employment had been withdrawn.
The allegations come as Reform UK faces increased scrutiny before an ITV undercover investigation scheduled to air on Sunday. The programme is understood to have captured several councillors allegedly using racist and sexist language.
Mr Campbell had been regarded as one of Reform’s rising political figures. He had no previous political experience before winning election as mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire in 2025.
Before entering public life, he won a boxing gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and was later appointed an MBE.
The complaint by the female employee could now place further pressure on Mr Campbell’s political career. He is understood to deny the allegations.
Luke Campbell, 39, the Reform UK mayor of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA), is accused of calling a senior female employee to his desk and showing her four “naked and sexualised images” of himself on a computer.
According to The Observer, Mr Campbell was interviewed under caution by Humberside Police earlier this month. He has not been arrested or charged.
Documents seen by the newspaper say the woman felt “shocked, embarrassed and humiliated” after allegedly being shown the images. The documents further claim that Mr Campbell and other male employees laughed at her reaction.
“I was deliberately exposed to naked and sexualised images involving the mayor in the workplace, without my consent, and was laughed at when I was visibly embarrassed,” she is quoted as saying. She reportedly added that the incident “violated my dignity”.
A separate statement was also reportedly provided by a witness who said they had seen the alleged incident.
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Additional claims have been made against Mr Campbell, including an allegation that he once lowered his trouser waistband to show a tan line and a tattoo on his lower abdomen.
The case is also being considered through internal proceedings after the woman was told, three weeks after the alleged cyberflashing incident, that her permanent employment offer had been withdrawn.
HEYCA is understood to have begun the proceedings after the woman alleged that she lost the job offer because she had “rejected unwanted sexual contact”.
A spokesperson for the combined authority said: “As with all public authorities, the combined authority has a standards process that can be engaged to deal with complaints about members and a complaints procedure that can be used to deal with complaints about officers.
“The standards process and the complaints procedure must be carried out in a fair and independent manner.”
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Luke firmly denies the allegations. They come from a disgruntled employee attempting to leverage a settlement in a meritless workplace dispute.”
Mr Campbell’s office had previously attracted scrutiny after reports that he was “at war” with staff, who accused him of fostering a “toxic working environment”.
He reportedly demanded that five members of staff resign in August last year after accusing civil servants of deliberately undermining him.
Mr Campbell is believed to have butted heads with officials shortly after taking office, following an allegation he tried to claim first-class train tickets on expenses.
The claim – which was denied by Reform UK – would have been in breach of government rules.
However, the row led to a review by an independent remuneration panel, which later clarified in a recommendation that he could only claim for standard class travel.
Things escalated further when Mr Campbell took ‘huge issue’ after he was told his ambition to hire Reform digital strategist Jack Anderton, 23, and ex-UKIP official Robin Hunter-Clarke, to serve as political advisers had been barred.
HEYCA and Mr Campbell’s office were contacted for comment.