ONCE again I see a member of that merry band known as the MBIs is running off at the pen again.

So for former councillor Mick Wilson's sake, let's set the record straight.

County Councillor Derrick Stanley is currently on holiday with his family and the following will probably explain why.

On the week of the public meeting at the West End Community Centre, Derrick, by his own admission, was difficult to get hold of so firstly, Derrick did not receive an invitation to go to the meeting had he done so he would have sent his apologies to the meeting.

Derrick is a very committed family man and has been for more than 50 years and has been for more than 50 years (something not many can boast about) and on the night of the meeting was at the chapel of rest paying his last respects to his mother, whose funeral was to take place the following morning.

Derrick is also very well aware of the attack on him that took place at the meeting and took Cllr Shirley Burns to task over it, telling her that he thought she would have found out the reason for his absence before condemning him for it... as far as I am aware she has not apologised to Derrick. I apologise to Derrick and his family for bringing this difficult time into the public domain.

To the former Councillor Wilson, I suppose these sorts of actions could be the reason why you are a former councillor and I look forward to your apology for this outrageous behaviour... but I won't hold my breath.

Cllr Elaine Bush

Harbour ward with

Cllr Derrick Stanley

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.