A PRESENTATION on the council's financial history by councillors Pat Mewton and Willy Ford was cut short by the mayor as members of the public urged them to sit down.

"There is only one issue and that is who is telling the truth," Coun Mewton had begun.

He went on to quote figures dating back to 1994 relating to past budgets and expenditure, disputing figures given by the town's first mayor Adrian Ward, now of Malvern Town Action Group.

Money spent on the Manders project to convert the former chemist shop into council offices was detailed by Coun Ford, who said: "We want some answers on your behalf about decisions made by the previous council, of which Mr Ward was a member."

Mr Ward responded that some of the figures quoted were simply not true and the council had lost all credibility.

"If this is local government I'm quite worried. It seems very aggressive to me," he said.