UK Labour-run council red faced following Pyongyang-style 'Dear leader' gaffe

London, June 22 (ANI): A Labour-run council in North London has apologized for ordering staff to refer to its new head as "Dear Leader".

A member of the staff at the Camden Council in North London sent out a tersely written email to staff, after Sarah Hayward took over as the new leader of the council last month.

The email, sent on June 12, stated: "Dear All - Any correspondence to Councillor Hayward should be addressed to her as 'Dear Leader' or 'Leader'. Please inform all your staff."

Hayward, however, insisted she had "no knowledge" of the email at the time it was sent, and said she was quite happy being called Sarah.

"It was nothing to do with me and I have no idea what prompted it. I am happy to be called plain old Sarah or anything really as long as it's not offensive. I hope people are not treating it seriously," The Telegraph quoted Hayward, as saying.

"It was a well-intentioned mistake. I'm not going into any naming and shaming though," she added.

Kim Jong Il, who died in December last year aged 69, liked to be known as "Dear Leader". (ANI)