Welshpool councillors 'facing abuse over road changes'

CIVIC LEADERS in Welshpool are being abused in the street and in the council's offices by people angry over changes to the town's road system, it emerged today.

Welshpool Town Council wants the verbal abuse to stop and will meet tomorrow night to discuss a way forward.

It could include installing CCTV in the council's offices.

Robert Robinson, town clerk, said today councillors had become concerned about the amount of abuse they were having to face from members of the public.

He said: "We are a very open council here in Welshpool and always try our best to keep things that way.

"But recently councillors have become increasingly concerned about the abuse received from the public against town council staff, particularly on items over which the town council has little or no control.

"We always try and help anyone even if it's not a town council responsibility. But recently we've had people coming into the council's offices and being abusive and people have even been abusive to our councillors on the street.

"One of the issues with people has been the introduction of the town's new one-way system but what a lot of people don't realise is that it was never a town council scheme. Powys County Council introduced it and we just helped it come in.

"It's a small minority of people that are abusive and I wouldn't say it's a major problem but it's something which shouldn't be allowed to happen."

Mr Robinson said the matter of the abuse would be discussed at tomorrow's town council meeting at 7pm.

"We will be discussing whether or not to install a CCTV system in the entrance to the town council's offices and put up a sign in the office entrance saying that abuse, whether physical of verbal, is not acceptable," he said.

"We will also be deciding whether or not we should introduce a policy whereby any person who is offensive is not dealt with and they will be asked to leave and come back another time."

By Anwen Evans