By Richard Evans, reporter
I love councillors.
To be fair, some are great, always helpful and a good starting point as a genuine source of information. More importantly, many have the best of intentions and often serve their community thanklessly, and often for many years.
But then there's the other breed - community, town and county councillors who think they're untouchable. Councillors who've quite often been around since the Jurassic period, or at the very least since before I was born - and I'm no longer a spring chicken!
These politicians may have forgotten the very reason they ever stood for council in the first place. In fact this type of councillor seems not to have an opinion, on anything, despite the fact they've been elected to represent the public in their respective wards.
These councillors are seen at all the events smiling, shaking hands and seem to enjoy council meetings (which is strange in itself) as some sort of social event. Despite being elected to serve you, there are a few who consider the title of "councillor" as some form of dignitary term which allows them free access to wine and cheese evenings and complimentary mince pies and sherry every December.
These are often the same people who dismiss the local press as negative for even daring to tackle a subject they'd rather ignore.
And so it was no surprise to me when, after speaking openly at a public meeting on a particular subject, a certain councillor later denied she'd shared her views with the said chamber. When I read back my notes to her, she then confessed to her speech, before outright denying it and then admitting it again, but stressed that if I printed her comments she'd take legal action.
I'm yet to hear from the councillor in question, or her solicitor, but it is frightening to think this type of elected public servant is prepared to go back on her word just to make sure a newspaper doesn't report something which should have been recorded in the minutes of a public meeting.
We printed the story some time ago, and it was hardly the most controversial scoop in the first place. But councillors are people and, just like journalists, there are good and bad ones!
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