Council meeting descends into chaos as bitter row sparks police response

Disruptions from the public gallery concerned allegations that 5G phone signals were impacting people's health.

The meeting was forced to pause twice as people in the public gallery continued to interrupt proceedings.

Councillors met at the town hall to vote on the Town Hall Square and Gardens legacy gardens, a project set up in memory of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King who were murdered in Southport by Axel Rudakubana in July last year.

However, proceedings were halted before they could get past the fifth item on the agenda, the public questions.

The meeting resumed following a ten minute break before questions were asked from the public. But just 20 minutes later, people in the gallery again became vocal and started shouting at the councillors.

Local Conservative leader, Mike Prendergast wrote on social media: "Tonight’s Sefton Council meeting descended into farcical and angry scenes.

"Councillors from all political parties, represent their communities and give their time to help others. We may disagree on political issues but fundamentally, we all want the best for our residents."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Axel Rudakubana: Southport inquiry won't use killer's name, probe's chairman says
• Southport Pier: Councillor demands authorities 'dig in their pockets' and fund repairs after years of closure
• Ex-Home Secretary Sajid Javid leads independent Southport riots review as source admits it is 'too simplistic to blame far-right'

During the second break, an argument appeared to break out between a group of people in the gallery and Manor Councillor Clare Carragher, with members of the public calling her "shameful" before telling her "you work for us".

Councillor Prendergast, who represents the Duke ward, continued: "Tonight, councillors from across all parties were prevented from doing their jobs by people who think that their opinions and concerns are more important than everyone else’s and who stopped a democratic council meeting from proceeding."

"We can’t allow a small group of people to stop democratic processes, and it’s imperative that the next council meeting is conducted in a more orderly manner."

A source at the meeting told the Liverpool Echo: "It was a farce of a council meeting. It was scheduled to be a really long meeting but it was just a farce.

"It was stopped twice and then adjourned, I can't recall a Sefton Council meeting being adjourned or anything like this happening."

The source continued: "Police were called after people were shouting in the gallery. I don't think there were threats made but there was a genuine concern for safety."

A spokesman from Merseyside Police confirmed that officers responded to reports.

The spokesman said: "We were called to Southport town hall at 7.30pm last night to reports of a disturbance.

"No offences were reported and we will be linking in with Sefton Council."