A weekly editor received an apology from a town mayor after a prank saw toilet roll in the town hall replaced with torn-up pages from his newspaper.
The Tindle-owned View From Lyme Regis was substituted for toilet paper as a meeting of Lyme Regis Town Council took place last week at the Guildhall.
The “childish prank” was discovered as the heated meeting was adjourned and the paper was swiftly removed – but the culprit has not been discovered.
Editor Philip Evans, who was in the council chamber for the meeting, drew the incident to the attention of officials and has received an apology from mayor Sally Holman and the town clerk.
The paper has published a story in this week’s edition about the toilet roll prank as part of its coverage of the meeting.
It reports a statement issued on behalf of the council by the mayor, saying: “We were appalled when sheets from the View From Lyme Regis, cut and hung in a bundle onto the radiator as though toilet paper, were discovered in the Guildhall toilet on the evening of the full council meeting on Wednesday 31 July. As mayor, together with town clerk John Wright, I have apologised to the editor of the paper.
“This juvenile act is disrespectful to the newspaper concerned but also reflects very badly on the town council and I sincerely hope that no-one connected with the council is implicated in any way.
“An investigation into the incident followed immediately and we have established that this childish prank took place between 6.40pm, when the facilities were used and nothing untoward noticed, and 6.59pm when a councillor saw it.”
The statement added that during that time many people were coming into the council chamber and members of the public also had access. Mayor Sally Holman also asked for information to help the council identify the culprit.
Philip said: “I appreciate the mayor’s statement and the quick action taken to remove the paper from the toilet and efforts to try to establish the culprit.
“The town clerk confirmed that it was a premeditated act carried out before the meeting started and not whilst the meeting was taking place.
“As far as I am concerned, the matter has been dealt with and I am sure the council have far more important matters to deal with than spending time on what the mayor rightly described as a childish prank.”
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One way to reach the seat(s) of power I guess.
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With all the public sector budget cuts, replacing toilet paper with newsprint is probably seen as a cost saving for the council.
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Is the outrage here genuine or tongue in cheek…………. ?
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Sense of humour failure. Just a bit of banter between a local newspaper and the council.
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Spreading the news
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Good jokey publicity for the paper which seems a bit touchy about this affront to its image, methinks.
The use of the newspaper will help save local council taxpayers a few bob as it was not having to buy toilet tissue. Best to make it a new cost saving measure. Readers could dump some of View from Lyme Regis papers at the council’s front door to help more. The idea could be used in other town halls as they’re supposed to be tightening spending belts.
Also, why was editor Phil Evans in the council chamber?
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Surely removing the evidence means the police have nothing to go on…
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Brilliant, brilliant prank!
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Not much of a view though!
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New role for council?
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All very interesting but how did its absorbency compare to the real thing? I think we need to know.
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