VIDEO: Brawl at council meeting over sheep grazing

Police were called when mud-slinging turned to brawling at a heated parish council allotments meeting.

Shocked onlookers rang officers as tempers flared and fighting broke out just minutes into the Briercliffe Parish Council Allotments Committee.

The Burnley Express understands the argument centred on the rights of former parish councillor to graze her sheep on land belonging to the parish council in Harrison Street.

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Coun. Margaret Lishman, who was chairing the meeting, said: “The meeting was adjourned due to a public disturbance.

“The matter is now in the hands of the police and on that basis I don’t feel able to comment until the investigation is completed.

“The parish council takes this matter extremely seriously and we will be taking steps after the investigation to consider what we will do in relation to the allotment tenants involved.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Police confirmed officers attended the meeting, held at the Community Centre in Jubilee Street, to deal with an “altercation” at 7-40pm on Monday. No arrests were made.

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Coun. Roger Frost, who sits on the committee, said: “I have been a parish councillor in Briercliffe for 26 years and I’ve never seen anything like that.

“There has been a lot of rivalry between various factions on the council and members of the public regarding the allotments and other land. Some people believe they have been treated unfairly.

“We usually settle things amicably here but sadly things got out of hand and the police were called.

“I sit on the allotments committee but I am trying to be neutral on this matter because I may be asked to be part of the solution in the future.”

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Coun. Frost, a respected local historian and borough councillor, said the dispute over the land had been referred to Burnley Borough Council’s legal department which is currently investigating.

Coun. Frost added: “The chairman of the committee, Margaret Lishman, was asked a number of questions which she quite rightly couldn’t answer because of the investigation.”

Former allotment holder Mr Paul Stowell who attended the meeting contacted the Express to tell of his “disgust” over what he saw unfold.

He said: “I think the meeting had only been going 10 minutes when punches started to be thrown.

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“Members of the public were asking legitimate questions about issues they were unhappy with.

“A lot of people are unhappy about how the allotments are run by the parish council and have been for years.

“There have been numerous complaints made about one particular member and nothing has been done. I was shocked by the fighting. It was absolutely disgusting.”