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London council apologises for ordering staff to address head as 'Dear Leader' - North Korea style

The councillor in question says she had no knowledge of the request – and is happy to be called ‘Sarah’.

Image: David Guttenfelder/AP/Press Association Images

A NORTH LONDON council has apologised to staff after circulating an email ordering them to address the newly-appointed head as “Dear Leader” – a greeting most commonly associated with former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

A member of staff at Camden Council sent out an email, reading: “Dear All – Any correspondence to Councillor Hayward should be addressed to her as ‘Dear Leader’ or ‘Leader’. Please inform all your staff.”

The councillor in question, Sarah Hayward, said she had “no knowledge” of the email prior to it being circulated – and insisted she was perfectly happy to be addressed as ‘plain old Sarah or anything really as long as it’s not offensive’, the Telegraph reports.

Tory councillor Andrew Mennear said: “Cllr Sarah Hayward thought Camden needed something different as leader. But I don’t think most of us were thinking of North Korea as a model to be followed.”

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