Police eject tweeting councillor from meeting

Wigan Today reports:

A TOWN hall meeting descended into chaos last night as a councillor was thrown out for tweeting.

Standish independent, Coun Gareth Fairhurst, was escorted out of the chamber by two police officers.

A handful of fellow opposition councillors staged a walkout in support.

Members had been earlier warned by Mayor Billy Rotherham that the use of social media was banned.

But after 40 minutes, the often outspoken Coun Fairhurst was ordered to leave after his live tweets had been spotted by council officers.

He wrote on his own blog that,

When I tweeted that the Labour Leader says that 99% of residents support the Council I tweeted I don’t think so. Then it came clear that the Council had a spy in watching me and said I was tweeting so the Mayor put it to the vote to have be kicked out. I said no, so he called the police.

Politicians wanting to communicate with the public their views on what’s going on? Quick, send in the police…!