KINGSWEAR Parish Council has been told by its newest elected councillor to ‘clean up its act’.

Cllr Lynne Maurer said there was a touch of the ‘stroppy teenager’ going on at meetings.

Her comments follow an outburst at this month’s parish council meeting where a police officer was forced to call for calm.

Neighbourhood beat officer PC Andrew ‘Frankie’ Vaughan had to ask for calm after tempers flared between some members of the public and parish councillors.

Afterwards, PC Vaughan took the unusual step of writing to all to councillors, saying: ‘I felt I needed to share with you my observations of what I would only describe as a complete debacle.

‘I am unaware of the two main issues which were the main points of contention and do not wish to know.

‘What I am aware of was a complete lack of respect for the views and opinions of some councillors and members of the public in attendance.

‘The meeting in my view swiftly turned into a group of disorderly individuals shouting the odds at one another which was not in the interest of the village.

‘This showed a complete lack of respect for each other and the role in which you have been elected or co-opted into. I should like to think that this was not the normal behaviour of the parish council. It was only when I could not stand to listen to the continued shouting, bickering and snide comments from all quarters that I felt I needed to interject.

‘I would have liked not to have become involved but I felt someone needed to try and establish some semblance of order.

‘I left the meeting very shocked at the behaviour of a number of councillors and members of the public.

‘On a number of occasions during the meeting reference was being made to the Code of Conduct.

‘I have visited the NALC [National Assoc­iation of Local Coun­cils] website and taken time to read the Code of Conduct.

‘I have attached a relevant extract from this document which details and suggests the management of any future disorderly conduct.

‘I am happy to discuss my thoughts and views with you individually if you should like to explore this further.’

Cllr Maurer said PC Vaughan’s comments were a ‘well-deserved rap over the knuckles’.

‘However, I don’t believe the work of the council to be dysfunctional, but maybe some of the interpersonal skills of its members,’ she said in an email to all councillors.

‘The interpersonal skills of the public we can only deal with as they arise, but we can deal with our own.

‘It is not possible to like everybody we work with but it is possible to listen to what they have to say without inappropriate comment or facial expressions that are bound to upset and demoralise the speaker. The odd smirk, rolling of eyes and sigh have all been noticed, along with the continued bickering which residents find tiresome.’

Cllr Maurer said there were many skills around the table and a lot of experience, which maybe residents needed to see a little more of.

‘I would like to be part of a successful , friendly and professional parish council and I know that is what Kingswear wants,’ she said.

Council chairman Jonathan Hawkins said it had been a difficult meeting. ‘Members of the public got heated and regrettably PC Vaugh­an had to intervene,’ he said.

Cllr Mike Trevorrow said: ‘I have been a member of many committees over 35 years or so of professional life but I have never seen such deliberate awkwardness and such rude behaviour as Kingswear council is at present enduring.’

Cllr Jan Henshall said: ‘I have apologised to PC Vaughan for the appalling behaviour which he was obliged to witness and I am grateful to him for his intervention.

‘Unfortunately I cannot say that this is an unusual occurrence but would point out that this rude and unpleasant behaviour is restricted to a couple of individuals while the majority of council members are completely blameless.

‘I believe it is the role of those elected to senior positions, such as chairman and vice chairman, to bring a degree of control to meetings.’

Cllr Hector New­combe said it was a ‘very sad state of affairs’ when a police officer had to call a meeting to order.

Cllr Lucy Payne said: ‘I have only been on the council for eight months and I have been dismayed by the behaviour of some council members and the insults that have been levied at anyone who dares to hold a different point of view.’

She added: ‘The meeting fell well below the standards expected, as has happened in the past.’

The Chronicle contacted all members of the parish council, inviting them to respond to PC Vaugh­an’s letter, which we obtained through a Freedom of Inform­ation request.