A PARISH council descended into “swearing and heated discussions” during a discussion about plans for a pump track.

Behaviour at the St Peter's Parish Council meeting has been called "shameful' with young people exposed to bad language and arguments which the council said was “disappointing and sad to see and hear".

The meeting had to be brought to a halt after 45 minutes as it became derailed by the strong views of some residents.

The circular pump track will be built in Battenhall Park on the edge of St Peter’s in Worcester and is set to cost around £60,000.

An exact location for the track has not yet been decided.

Work to bring the new facility to the south of the city is finally taking place after years of campaigning.

A spokesperson said: “The Parish Council would like to offer apologies to the young residents that came to the meeting who had to witness swearing and heated discussions by some attendees.

"This was incredibly disappointing to see and hear.

“There were clearly strong views on the subject from both sides of the discussion. Unfortunately, the meeting deteriorated, and the Chairman had to stop the public session after 45 minutes.”

The post said that “a number of Battenhall residents had also been encouraged to attend” who apparently did not submit a request to speak in accordance with the policy of the parish council.

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Cllr Alan Tucker, leader of the St Peter’s parish Council, said: “Views were expressed, and it got heated.

“We ended the meeting at the 45-minute mark, which overran its usual 30 minutes, and we felt it necessary to apologise after the meeting.”

A woman who commented on the statement said: "mY 12-year-old son was shocked at the behaviour of some of the adults."

Another commenter called the behaviour "shameful".

They said: "Grown adults acting like toddlers over a children's outdoor activity. Pretty shameful."

The overall consensus from the meeting was that the pump track in St Peter’s is a good idea and that there was a strong range of views on where the track should be located.

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The parish council clarified to residents that a pump track is not a “BMX or skate park”, but a track for "wheeled sports".

The proposed location is land owned by Worcester City Council and there is a due process that must be carried out including feasibility surveys, business case, planning application and a formal consultation.