COUNCILLORS came under fire once more during the public participation portion of last week’s full town council meeting.

Concerns were raised over meeting attendance, the use of town council budgets and certain members’ behaviour on social media, with one speaker going as far as to call for resignations.

Members of the public, including ex-councillors, have been vocal in their criticism of the current regime and its decisions in recent weeks.

Last month Nigel Long attended a meeting holding a sign in protest, demanding the council stop “wasting” money. This week he went one better with a metre-long banner labelling the authority “pathetic” and calling for its councillors to resign.

Mr Long had earlier asked why the mayor is “hellbent” on spending the funds from a pot of money earmarked to pay for new council offices.

His comments came after fellow former councillor Richard Kidd had requested an explanation for the absence of two councillors who are yet to attend a meeting since being elected in May.

In separate responses to both speakers, town council chairman councillor Richard Rowles noted that the authority is entitled to alter budgets before offering explanations over the two councillors’ non-attendance.

In his criticism of the council, Mr Long, asked: “Is it the mayor’s new policy to make this town council bankrupt by continuing to rob reserves for his pet projects?

“Earlier you mentioned this evening that budgets don’t have to be spent, so why are you hellbent on spending the new buildings fund?”

He then called into question recent social media posts made by councillors, describing the behaviour as “unprofessional and unbecoming of a councillor or mayor” before revealing his protest message.

Prior to Mr Long’s questions, Mr Kidd had asked of the whereabouts of Cllrs Dorothy Day and Peter Scott, neither of whom have attended meetings since being elected. He said: “Are they in an igloo in the Antarctic somewhere? Where are they, why aren’t they coming along?”

In reply Cllr Rowles said: “Cllr Scott has given me permission to say that he has got a medical condition at the moment which is quite serious and which precludes him from attending meetings.”

He added that Cllr Day had been unable to arrange childcare for her child.