More doubt has been cast on the return of a successful dog festival to Dartmouth next year, with comments from the mayor this week.

Cllr Richard Cooke came out in support of Cllr Gina Coles whose comments about Woofstock UK’s Coronation Park show caused controversy last week.

In an email to the Chronicle, the mayor said: “The dog show was not supported by a majority of the council, not just Cllr Coles, when we were asked our opinion by South Hams [District Council]. Nevertheless South Hams permitted the show and by all accounts it was a great success.”

Dartmouth Town Council is expected to take over the park from the district council later this year – so any decision on a future Woof­stock UK festival will hinge on town councillors.

But Heather Nesbitt and Carol Bevan, the event organisers, were not optimistic this week.

Thanking “the people and businesses of Dartmouth and people from all over the country for their support”, they added: “If Dart­mouth Town Council didn’t support us when we announced our plans last year, what hope do we have next year, although Cllr Cooke does say by all accounts it was successful. I don’t think they will ever want Woofstock UK in Dartmouth.

“We have been offered other sites in towns in the surrounding area who have said they would be delighted to have such an event in their town. We are considering these sites.

“We had lived in the hope we would return to Dartmouth once more but that hope is dwindling as each day passes and now it has been confirmed that the ‘majority’ of the town council did not support us.”

However, business owners, tourists and residents have rallied in support of the organisers, after criticism by Cllr Coles, who is also a director of the council’s Dartmouth Visitor Centre.

Cllr Gina Coles was quoted in last week’s Chronicle as saying that Ms Nesbitt was “not the right sort” and cast doubts over charitiable donations from the festival, which had been previously held a small Dorset village in 2014 and 2015 but which two weeks ago took place on Coronation Park.

News of Cllr Coles’ attack on the festival quickly spread around the world on the internet, after it was published online by the Chronicle.

One Dartmouth business owner, Theresa Hart, said: “We are Dartmouth residents and Woofstock exhibitors. It is precisely what the town needs – fun, quirky, unique to keep the town, vibrant, inclusive, original and interesting. All the people we spoke to at the show were overwhelmed by what a fabulous and professional event it was. Sad to live in a town where we can elect a councillor with this attitude to people, business and the tourism of the town who tries to turn away an opportunity like Woofstock.

Some town councillors also defended the dog festival.

Former mayor Cllr Rob Lyon said: “I went to the park on Friday to see the setting up, and saw a very well organised and professional team at work. Di, I, four members of our family, their dog Folley and Benji, the ‘town dog’, spent a few hours there on Saturday, the whole event ran like clockwork as far as we could see and was extremely enjoyable, it was a splendid use of Coronation Park and this and other events like it should be encouraged.”

Cllr Steve Smith, commenting on the announcement by Woofstock UK that more than £6,000 had been raised for charities, said: “Fantastic and thanks to ‘H’ and her dedicated team and please welcome Woofstock to Dartmouth’s list of epic annual events.”

Businesswoman Carole Hart-Fletcher said: ”I find it so sad that there is always someone in this community that throws negativity at activities designed to benefit of businesses and the people who live in it. Instead we should be proud and celebrate the fact there are people prepared to put a lot of time and energy into Dartmouth.

Calls have been made for an official council inquiry into last week’s story, after Cllr Coles’ claimed some of the comments attributed to her were false.

Posting on her own Facebook page, Cllr Coles said last weekend: “This week I was featured on the front page and the whole of page three and the gist of the story was that I said that a woman who ran a recent dog show wasn’t ‘the right type’ to do it! Obviously, I didn’t say that it is a total lie and luckily I have a witness who was with me when the alleged conversation took place when I said the fatal words and I also have the emails I am supposedly quoted from, which are free of any such comment.”

Holiday cottage owner Colin Monckton posted at dartmouthbusinessnews.org: “Consider this – the organiser of Woofstock knows that Coronation Park is under ownership of the town council next year. They feel the town council is prejudiced and bigoted in their attitudes towards them. They have delivered a good quality event with no issues and brought new people into the town. To arrange the festival for next year will require confirmation very soon of the location. Under the circumstances, if they choose elsewhere, then the town will be labelled bigoted and prejudiced in an even more public way. I find that abhorrent.

“The only thing to do here aside from resolving the truth of the allegations – for which a suspension of the councillor during an investigation would be highly appropriate – is to quickly and sincerely offer the organiser a repeat festival next year and extend congratulations and support. Given the lack of transfered funding for Coronation Park, the commercialisation of the space will be essential and the ability to support well-run events will be essential.

“An immediate public show of support for this would be an almost priceless platform for the future financial sustainability of the council’s ability to take over the responsibility for this space.

“Where is the town council’s congratulations to the organisers and where is their hand of friendship and encouragement to return next year? If these comments are untrue, then what on earth is stopping the council from doing so? The longer they say nothing the more it seems evident that these comments are not being disowned.”

Among the demands for action by the council was one by Paul Reach, a former town councillor. He said: “I suggest an agenda item at the next council meeting – not in committee [where discussions take place and decisions made in private] – where all of the facts are presented and a full inquiry into the allegations of both sides can be concluded. This should be carried out in public and a clear statement from the council should be the conclusion. Confirmation of the council’s support for next year’s WoofstockUK should also be part of this statement. The current silence from the council is not really acceptable.”

But Cllr Cooke told the Chronicle: “The town council has no intention of holding any sort of inquiry.”

Defending Cllr Coles from some of the more personal attacks made on social media, not just about the Woofstock story but also one about an ice cream seller, Jolly Lolly, where she raised fears of “Asian street food” being sold on the streets of Dartmouth, the mayor said: “Cllr Coles can be outspoken at times but my experience tells me that she is neither racist nor homophobic in her opinions.”

He said: “The Jolly Lolly story again results from the town council not being in favour of commercial acticivities within Royal Avenue Gardens, except for one-day charitable purposes, as it competes with other traders in the market and town.”