Bullying always pissed me off when I witnessed it at school, for instance, but I was shocked and surprised when it happened to me, as an adult, in the workplace.

I'd like to share my story to show that it can happen to anyone and can do considerable damage to their confidence and mental health. I'll mention no names to protect the guilty... but it happened when I was working for a QUANGO associated with the Council.

A new CEO came into post and she was lazy, aggressive and incompetent. After six months it was becoming untenable and a colleague and I reported her to my Board of Directors, and to the Council which encouraged me to make a formal complaint, but when I did so I was never permitted back into my office. The colleague then lost her bottle and went quiet.

Shockingly the QUANGO and the Council permitted our CEO to bully me out of my job after making a 'protected disclosure' as a whistle-blower. I then spent two years of hell on anti-depressants trying to fight my employers through the courts. It took so long to come to tribunal that the effects on my mental health were devastating and I struggled with my confidence and thought occasionally about ending my life to stop the feelings of depression - it was so miserable and everything was such a drain.

In the end... I can neither confirm nor deny that any money changed hands. ;)

It took years but I eventually pulled myself together with the aid of the anti-depressants and the support of good friends. I determined to stand for election to the Council that had damaged me and on being elected at the first attempt, I swore to protect employees who were being mistreated.

I confess this has been difficult as it is clear that the inHuman Resources Department is more concerned about bad publicity than it is about correcting bad practice within the Council. I am saddened when decent workers are forced from their jobs after becoming ill - very often due to the stress partly caused, or exacerbated, by the job they are doing.

The abuses of anti-Personnel power continue.

When I was appointed as Lord Mayor of my city I chose to support four charities and significantly two of these were related to protecting people from bullying and harassment, either due to their race or due to their sexuality. However, bullying can happen in all spheres of life and we must all stand up for those being oppressed - not just on grounds of race and sexuality - but maybe they just dress differently like Sophie Lancaster, or they have a disability, or they are vulnerable people who are being taken advantage of by others.