The Conservative town council chairman Bernard Arscott said: "Our locum clerk was subjected to abuse by members of the public."We have a legal duty of
The Conservative town council chairman Bernard Arscott said: “Our locum clerk was subjected to abuse by members of the public.
“We have a legal duty of care to her and it was her advice to call the police.
“I accept it’s not an ideal situation.”
Mr Arscott confirmed this upcoming year’s budget and the precept, the amount of money households pay the council each year, was eventually agreed in a private, closed session.
Jean de Tourtolon, who was at the meeting, described it as a “pantomime” and said the audience started “booing and slow-handclapping” because residents “felt their questions were not being answered” by councillors.
Lydia Hyde, a Labour Southend-on-Sea city councillor, who also sat in the public gallery, described the meeting as “a shambles”.
She told the BBC that 70 local people turned up, which showed the “scale of the anger people are feeling about the way the council is being run”.
www.bbc.co.uk
COMMENTS