In one of his final acts before being rejected by fellow councillors in a vote for mayor, Cllr Richard Cooke left a cafe simmering.

Cllr Cooke was still mayor when he sent the Community Corner cafe a letter, demanding it turned away visitors.

Paul Lucas, secretary of the Dartmouth Over 60s group, was contacted by Cllr Cooke who said the Community Corner in the Old Market was “serving food to all comers and advertising to coaches”.

The letter, on Dartmouth Town Council-headed paper, said: “Understandably this is causing annoyance to other cafe traders in the market who pay business rates, staff and utilities, as well as having food hygiene certificates.”

Cllr Cooke added: “I would be pleased if you could arrange a time to come into the office to discuss these matters and we will also organise a commercial letting agreement.”

However, Mr Lucas denied the cafe advertised to coaches and its reputation had only been created by word of mouth throughout the town.

The Community Corner was formerly known as the Dartmouth and District Old Folk’s Rest Room, the charity behind the operation. It was opened in 1959 as a relaxed place for friends to meet over a cup of tea and light refreshments.

Throughout the years it has played host to a number of different activities, including birthday and Christmas parties, weddings and wakes. It also hosts Dartmouth Caring lunches and a memory cafe. Up until 2007, Dartmouth and District Old Folk’s Rest Room had the lease on the building, which was refurbished in 2011. It now pays rental costs.

Mr Lucas said on average its daily takings were about £16 and sometimes £35 on a good day.

However, Mr Lucas said the town council had recently received complaints from other food outlets that they were losing trade.

He said: “We have been told not to serve the visitors of Dartmouth, which makes us the only registered charity to turn people away in the town.

“We have a regular nucleus of regulars who turn up on a Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings between 10am and noon, and between them do not spend enough to pay the monthly rent. I don’t know how fewer than 10 visitors on a good day can affect any trader when they are open all day six days a week.”

Cllr Cooke has since said: "I think that the letter is self-explanatory. The Community Corner is subsidised by the council in order to provide a place for the elderly to have a sit-down and light refreshments. "It used to be called the over-sixties rest room. Dartmouth caring also use it. Mr Lucas has tried to broaden its use which has upset other cafe proprietors in the market. They pay many expenses such as staff, power, etc. which Mr Lucas does not. They also have hygiene certificates."