Workington Town Council meeting erupts into chaos

Labour Councillor Denise Rollo left the meeting at Workington Town Council abruptly after she believed she saw Moorclose Independent Councillor Steven Stoddart make a ‘shooting gesture’ at a Labour councillor’s head.

Cllr Stoddart denied the allegations.

He said: “It wasn’t a gun at all ­- I was pointing my finger.”

The meeting flared up after an argument ensued between Cllr Rollo and Cllr Stoddart over the accusation.

It came as Cllr Paul Scott was talking about councillors’ etiquette on social media.

Cllr Rollo said she was left shocked by the alleged incident, which she said she had reported to the police via their online reporting tool.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said no record of the allegation had been found on their system as of yesterday afternoon.

Cllr Rollo said: “We all turned around to watch Paul Scott speak and then Steven Stoddart makes a gun gesture with his hand and points it and goes ‘pshh’.

“That is totally unacceptable and I wasn’t going to sit there let him do that and not say anything. It’s unacceptable for a councillor to do that and for that behaviour in a council meeting. I was absolutely shocked. I couldn’t sit in the meeting any longer, I couldn’t not say anything.

“I saw it and I had to speak out about it and I had to leave because I didn’t want to be in that room a minute longer with him.”

Cllr Scott, however, said he did not see anyone make a gun gesture.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said.

“I was talking and Cllr Rollo said someone had just made a gun gesture.

“I didn’t see anyone doing it as I was talking.”

Cllr Rollo said that other councillors in attendance at Wednesday evening meeting also observed the gesture.

Cllr Stoddart was approached for further comment but had not responded by the time we went to press.

The meeting was the first full council meeting that has been held by Workington Town Council since it moved into new premises in Princess Street last month.