Fight breaks out at parish council meeting over sheep grazing rights

If you've never been to a parish council meeting, you need to know they can get quite heated.

However, it's not often that they end up in brawls as was the case at Briercliffe Parish Council during a discussion about sheep grazing rights.

Police were called to the meeting and are now looking at footage from the scrap on Monday night.

Former parish councillor Sarah Seed has been involved in protracted negotiations over grazing land for her sheep Millie, along with fellow councillor Colin Meeks.

She resigned earlier this month along with Coun Meeks, and lodged a standards complaint with Burnley Council.

The scuffle broke out at the meeting between council lengthsman Michael Greenwood, and Mrs Seed's husband, Jimmy.

Mrs Seed said: 'It started in the community centre.

'There was just a scuffle, nobody really punched anyone else, it was six of one and half a dozen of the other.

'I'm not surprised that a fight broke out. It's the way they're treating people in the parish that we disagree with.'

Mr Greenwood could not be reached for comment.
Councillor Margaret Lishman, who chaired the meeting, said: 'The meeting had to be adjourned because a fight broke out between some members of the public.

'The matter is with the police at the present time so it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.'