A group of councillors are proposing that staff at Calderdale Council be banned from wearing the burka and niqab.
Coun Allen Clegg has demanded staff be stopped from wearing the religious Muslim dress because “it intimidates people.” He likened the niqab – the face veil – and the burka, the garment that cloaks the entire body, often including the face, to outfits worn by the Ku Klux Klan.
He told the Courier: “Council workers are often facing the public and I don’t think the public feels comfortable or safe facing someone they essentially cannot see. It’s a matter of common sense. How would you feel if a social worker turned up at your door wearing something that resembled a Ku Klux Klan outfit?”