A former mayor collapsed and died just moments after giving a speech at a Norfolk council.
Peter Neal, 68, died as he pleaded for a “way forward” after years of turmoil surrounding Attleborough town council, which has been described as “Britain’s craziest”.
Mr Neal spoke up at the conclusion of a council meeting to ask why the new clerk had joined the meeting by video call from Hampshire.
He finished his speech around a minute before the livestream of the meeting ended and collapsed as members of the public began to leave the room.
Reform UK’s Daniel Piddington, the council’s deputy mayor, jumped to give CPR, rendering aid for 25 minutes before emergency services arrived.
Mr Piddington told Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury: “It is heartbreaking that his life ended in the place where he had devoted so much of his time and service to the community.”
Mr Neal was not a member of the council at the time of his speech, but remained involved in local government.
Speaking from the gallery, he said: “Maybe I’m old school but I find it quite frightening that we’ve got somebody who is our town clerk 250 miles away.
Peter Neal died as he questioned why the new town clerk was joining by video call from Hampshire
|
FACEBOOK / ALISON N PETER NEAL
“We have been used to days of old where our clerk was not necessarily in the town but close to the town and knew the ins and outs and the ways forward. And please, please can we find a way forward?”
Since 2020, the council has been plagued by an ongoing conflict between two factions on the council.
Taila Taylor, her mother Samantha, and grandfather John, the former two of whom are Tory councillors on Breckland Council, have been in a bitter dispute with a group of Reform UK-linked councillors, including Mr Piddington.
It began when Mr Piddington’s lease for the Bear pub, owned by the Taylor family, was removed after they said he failed to comply with terms, which he denies.
LATEST IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
Peter Neal spoke from the gallery during the last few minutes of a town council meeting
|
YOUTUBE / ATTLEBOROUGH TOWN COUNCIL
He then accused Ms Taylor of failing to pay £10,000 to charity, a condition of the £20,000 she won from her own council after a 2021 legal settlement over defamation and unlawful removal from committee roles.
Ms Taylor repeatedly refused to confirm if she had donated the money, claiming the council had not met its own requirements under the settlement, ultimately resigning over the issue.
There have since been allegations of airsoft gun attacks, a councillor pleading guilty to committing criminal damage while drunk, and Ms Taylor allegedly being struck by a car outside a pub owned by Mr Piddington.
Outgoing mayor Andy Westby usd his final speech to call for the end of the feud.
Attleborough Town Hall, home to what has been described as ‘Britain’s craziest council’
|
GOOGLE MAPS
He said: “What started as a private business dispute between councillors quickly degenerated to all-out war which embroiled everyone else with it and quickly trashed the reputation of the council and the town itself which I hope they’re very pleased with themselves for.”
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called on Monday evening just after 8.40pm to a medical emergency at Queen’s Square, Attleborough.
“Two ambulances, an ambulance officer vehicle and the East Anglian Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.
“Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the patient died at the scene.”
Leave a Reply