So after reading the story of Councillor Gul Nawaz I thought I would put my view in.

Councillor Nawaz and everyone who supported him came under fire recently after he was appointed deputy mayor; the controversy lies in the fact he had previously convicted of benefit fraud.

But not only that, more unjustly, is the residue left behind by a former ex-mayor convicted of election fraud which is also playing a contributory part to the outcry.

However, I believe a healthy example has been set and I for one support it, and no, it's not because I'm a biased Asian.

Firstly, if we step back for a minute and think about the bigger message this story has then maybe others might support it too (I won't hold my breathe.)

I often hear people who have been convicted of a crime resigning themselves to the "vicious circle" it has put them in. They often feel their convictions mean they are discriminated against and they no longer have the same opportunities as others – consequently they go out and re-offend.

Secondly, let's not play dumb, we all know that there is a big difference between being convicted as a mayor who participated in vote rigging to a deputy mayor who has had a past conviction for benefit fraud.

On the other hand, I believe Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, when he says that the decision to appoint Cllr Gul Nawaz as deputy mayor was done with kindness and fairness whilst taking into consideration a wise man's words, the Very Reverend Charles Taylor, who said 'that indeed forgiveness was the Christian thing to do'.

To which I'm sure most would agree, but I think Cllr Fitzgerald might have been wise to add a big dose of 'faith' into the ingredients.

Maybe then, they might not have felt the need to suppress coverage of the decision.

This has caused further detriment to the scenario simply for the reason that it contradicts the message of fairness, and the belief that you have got the right man for the job, does it not?

All said and done, I would like to Congratulate Cllr Nawaz and his party for taking such a challenging step, it might be controversial but that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?