A new attempt to force a U-turn over the controversial future of a Dartmouth Town Council-owned flat has been beaten off with threats to call in the Local Government Ombudsman.

In a surprise move, town mayor Paul Allen opened Monday's council meeting by declaring that the town council was categorically not 'split' and anyone who said so was simply jealous.

Minutes later the council was rowing all over again about whether to rent the four-bedroom Butterwalk flat to a needy local family or lease it to the town's museum, amid comments about secret meetings and misunderstood promises.

The town council only voted a month ago to spend almost £50,000 on doing up the second-floor flat and hand control over to South Hams Council so it could be rented out.

Cllr Francis Hawke warned his fellow councillors on Monday: 'If we change our minds, I would have to seriously consider whether I reported my own council to the Local Government Ombudsman.'

Town councillors decided after months of debate to take advantage of the district council's Direct Lets scheme and the £15,000 grant that goes with it and allow the district council to rent the flat out.

The move infuriated Dartmouth Museum trustees who wanted to expand the museum into the old flat and claimed they had been virtually promised a deal.

Before Monday's meeting had even begun, Cllr Allen read out a statement declaring that stories about the town council being split or divided were 'just not true'.

For more on this story, see this week's Dartmouth Chronicle