Council bans people from meetings after disorder
Thetford Town CouncilA town council that has faced three years of disruption at meetings has issued banning orders to members of the public.
Thetford Town Council said it was taking the measure to exclude four people from future meetings.
On 28 July, police and security guards were called to remove people accused of acting in what the council described as an "aggressive and intimidating" way.
One councillor told the BBC a group were "driving people with genuine questions away".
The ban, in place for at least a year, has been issued to other people in the past.
"We welcome scrutiny but what we don't welcome is abuse, intimidation, violent language and the rest," added the councillor, who wished to remain anonymous.
The authority has not said who the members of the public are. The banning order can be extended or reviewed following a year's period.
Its meetings have frequently become tense as councillors clashed with a group opposing some of its decisions.
They have also voiced their opposition on national issues towards the council, such as on immigration.
In 2024, the council hired a private security team after protesters disrupted a meeting objecting to the council's declaration of a "climate emergency".
It has since employed four security guards for each full council meeting at a cost of about £355.
Paul Moseley/BBCMore recently, tensions have flared in the town over the Home Office plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Barnham, just over the county border in Suffolk.
Disorder spilled out on to its streets after a meeting in June when a group of 30 people pursued Terry Jermy, who is the Labour MP for South West Norfolk and a Thetford town councillor.
He had left the Guildhall with a fellow councillor and a member of his team.
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Following the incident, Norfolk Police arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of two counts of harassment and a public order offence.
A woman in her 50s was also arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.
Both individuals have been rebailed until 21 September.
A councillor, who did not wish to be named, said the problems started following the previous election more than three years ago, which some of those banned had stood for but lost.
"I don't think it is so much about them wanting us to do anything as just anger - that we were more popular than them," the councillor added.
"We are volunteers and we are there to make Thetford a better town for everybody. We're not the representative of the prime minister or anybody else."
They continued: "They are a small, very noisy minority.
"The majority of people don't approve it, don't appreciate it and don't want anything to do with it."
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