Hedon mayor, wife and colleague step down amid ‘vendetta’ claims

Hedon Town Mayor Jim Lindop stepped down with his wife Sue, the mayoress, at the start of Thursday night’s council meeting.

After reading a statement, long-standing Hedon councillor Ann Suggit also announced her resignation from the council she has served for three decades.

The resignations follow claim and counter claim between members of the 12-strong council. There have been disputes over which guests were invited by the mayor to the mayor-making ceremony in May, and an altercation on Civic Sunday where it was alleged the mayoress was shouted at after making a sarcastic remark.

Mr Lindop, a former personnel manager with Humberside Fire and Rescue, said yesterday: “What they were objecting to was that we never invited some religious leaders and some people from the WI and British Legion, but we wanted older Hedon residents who have never been invited to experience it.

“Following that on Civic Sunday, the mayoress made a sarcastic comment to [one of the councillors]: ‘So you are not snubbing us, today’ and she took off screaming like a banshee. Ann Suggit told her it was neither the time nor the place.

“Following that, in subsequent letters she denied it and accused the mayoress of shouting at her. Some of the councillors signed a letter to say they never heard the councillor shouting and it was the mayoress who was rude. It seems odd as they weren’t in the building at the time.

“Since the mayor-making Sue and I have suffered what we can describe as a nasty vendetta against us by some councillors and a lack of support from others.”

There had been an exchange of letters with both sides making claims, but he said the situation was now “untenable”.

Coun Suggit, who will continue as an East Riding councillor, said: “I am appalled, I’m very sad for Jim, because he has been a good mayor for 18 months, but certain councillors decided he wasn’t doing a good enough job for them.”

A supporter of the councillors accused of carrying out the vendetta said, however, they were actually the victims. She said: “I am angry because I know the truth of what has happened. It is the exact opposite.

“Public opinion in Hedon will be detrimental to them if the story is that the mayor is being victimised, people will believe it, without the other side of the story.”

Deputy Mayor John Dennis said in a statement: “For some time there has been an ongoing conflict between a number of members of Hedon Town Council. Two members have decided they no longer want to continue working in this atmosphere and have resigned. As a deputy mayor I have a duty to ensure the continuity of Hedon’s ancient traditions and civic functions and will work with other members and the town council to do so.”

Coun Neil Black said he had seen nothing like it in 28 years on the council, adding: “It is absolute disaster. It upset quite a few of the local organisations who weren’t invited to the mayor making. This has shone an embarrassing spotlight on the town.“

Another local suggested the mayor had done things his way “and it’s different maybe to the way other people have done it and maybe councillors weren’t included”.