POLICE were called and a public meeting adjourned after threatening comments were made to a town councillor in Liskeard.

Feelings had been running high at the Public Hall around the issue of a footpath and ramp which have now been blocked for 10 weeks, preventing access between the Liskerrett Community Centre and the Cattle Market car park.

The town council meeting was stopped after a member of the public leaned over a councillor’s shoulder and told them “You should be shot – I’m going to have you executed.”

Cornwall Council, whose contractors have fenced off the route, say it won’t be possible to restore access until after the building work on the Cattle Market has taken place – at the earliest a year away.

Liskeard Town Council had agreed to make formal representation to Cornwall Council on behalf of residents and community centre users – and councillors have said that if this doesn’t work, they will go to the Ombudsman to fight people’s corner.

As the council prepared to agree the wording of what they would send to the local authority, supporters of the Liskerrett Centre were given the opportunity to voice their opinions about the issue. Around a dozen supporters were in attendance.

Tension rose as each person spoke and some members of the public present were heard to make aggressive and accusatory comments among themselves, but aimed at town councillors.

After the meeting was adjourned, members of the public were ushered out of the hall where shouting continued in the foyer.

The person who made threatening comments sent a letter of apology the following morning stating that it was “unfair to direct their wrath and unhappiness at the way Cornwall Council was behaving to the individual concerned”.

But the incident has left councillors shaken and very concerned about the current climate between local politicians and residents. It comes on the back of reported threats, unrelated to the Liskerrett matter, made to council staff at their office, and “abusive” comments toward town councillors on social media.

A spokesperson for the town council said: “The police are investigating the matter and we have no further comment to make at this time”.