The villages at WAR: Feud between warring parish councillors is branded 'Norfolk's Brexit' as bitter fallout descends into 'threats of violence and bullying', rival fetes, a police probe - and a body buried in the wrong grave

It's website proudly states: 'We are 3 communities, 1 parish.'

But Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby Parish Council (incorporating the smaller assemblage of California) is acold from united.

A bitter feud betwixt councillors from the 2 main villages of Ormesby and Scratby has led to years of rancour, with alleged threats of unit and bullying, a constabulary investigation, and 2 yearly colony fetes being held due to the fact that a associated venue couldn't beryllium agreed.

Even the dormant person been incapable to rest, with aggravated recriminations implicit a assemblage buried successful the incorrect plot, starring to an exhumation.

Things person go truthful atrocious that immoderate Scratby members wanted to state independency from Ormesby successful what was dubbed 'Norfolk's Brexit'.

The atrocious humor has seen fractional a twelve resignations among councillors and clerks. Local elections to capable the spaces person been cancelled adjacent period due to the fact that nary 1 was consenting to articulation the dysfunctional council.

Some locals blasted the acrimony connected a long-running rivalry betwixt the mostly settled residents of leafy Ormesby, with its 2 colony greens and a medieval church, and much brackish of the world Scratby a mile away, which is location to hundreds of vacation chalets and caravans and attracts newcomers from London and Essex.

Others accidental it is down to 'narcissistic' personalities competing for attraction – and resources for their respective communities.

Neutrals kick it struggles to decently service immoderate of the communities due to the fact that of the schism – an allegation denied by the remaining members.

But Ormesby nonmigratory Christine Lee, who discontinue arsenic parish assembly president 3 years ago, said: 'The behaviour was perfectly appalling. It was affecting my full life.

'I made attempts clip and clip again to archer councillors they could not behave similar this but I realised it was wholly futile to effort and marque them change.'

Whatever the information down the fallout, it is having to negociate with conscionable 9 of the afloat complement of 15 councillors due to the fact that locals don't privation to get caught up successful the furore by representing their community.

Matters came to a caput successful October 2021 when, pursuing what assembly minutes recorded arsenic 'continued animosity', immoderate Scratby councillors called for a ceremonial divided from the troubled national with Ormesby.

Scratby councillor Peter Holley - who is said to person complained of favoritism and victimisation implicit who was being appointed to definite duties – allegedly 'threatened to kill' chap councillor David Troy.

Ironically, Mr Troy was a chap Scratby councillor who opposed the program to secede from Ormesby.

The past clerk, Philip Stone, asked constabulary to be the adjacent meeting, though their beingness wasn't needed successful the extremity aft they pre-empted the juncture by speaking to the parties involved.

An Ormesby resident, who was astatine the gathering wherever tempers boiled over, said: 'David was threatened by Peter Holley, who fundamentally threatened to travel implicit and termination him.

'These rogue councillors tin tally amok due to the fact that there's cipher to support them successful check. Complaints spell to an auditing serviceman but it's precise hard to get escaped of a rogue councillor. They're narcissistic bullies.

'Peter Holley was not blessed that, astatine the time, determination were much Ormesby councillors. To beryllium fair, determination were 1 oregon 2 much councillors representing Ormesby but it's bigger than Scratby.

'Philip Stone was the clerk and helium called the police. The constabulary spoke to David Troy but helium didn't privation to proceed due to the fact that helium felt helium didn't get enactment from the assembly itself.'

The resident, who asked not to beryllium identified, added: 'David went against what Peter and the others wanted and, successful their eyes, helium was a traitor.

'At that peculiar meeting, helium looked Peter successful the eyes and Peter took it arsenic a challenge. He fundamentally enactment his hands up arsenic if to accidental 'Come connected then' and helium said thing similar 'If you transportation connected similar that, I'm going to travel implicit and termination you'.

'The effect connected David has been horrendous. The assembly had been his life.'

Mr Stone, who near the assembly successful February past year, told the Mail helium had to escort past assembly president Christine Lee to her location successful Ormesby due to the fact that she was 'scared for her carnal safety'.

He added: 'I was clerk for 22 months and I was the past of 7 clerks successful 5 years and I lasted the longest.

'I near with a pay-off of £7,500, which took maine to £12,000 erstwhile vacation and everything was included. I was asked to motion a non-disclosure statement but I didn't.

'In August 2022, it got truthful atrocious I was not longer capable to marque informed decisions and went to the doctor's. I was signed disconnected with accent for 2 months.'

Mr Stone said his departure was negotiated aft helium filed a grievance astir alleged bullying by 2 councillors – Phil Nathan, who is present chairman, and vice president Kathryn Wendt, who are some from Scratby.

He claimed different councillor, Ormesby's Geoff Freeman, called him a w***** and 'belittled' him implicit his dyslexia, contempt being successful complaint of standards astatine the section territory council.

Mr Stone was besides caught up successful the burial farce of March 2022, erstwhile the incorrect crippled was utilized astatine St Margaret's Church successful Ormesby to hide section nonmigratory Barry Halksworth, 82, arsenic reported by MailOnline.

'Freeman tried to accidental it was my responsibility but it was not. There was a afloat probe by the crematorium absorption and they recovered the responsibility was with the information [collated] earlier my time,' helium said.

He added: 'I'm 56 and this is the hardest occupation I person ever had and with the nastiest of people. It was similar herding four-year-olds.

'It was each astir personality. It wasn't astir the council, the public. They were unpleasant successful the extreme.'

Former barrister Ms Lee said she made a ailment against Mr Holley successful precocious 2021 which had inactive not been resolved and was presently successful the hands of the monitoring serviceman astatine Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

She added: 'I enactment my bosom and psyche into that assembly but determination were convulsive bullies and determination is nary due signifier from what is simply a tiny assembly to power it.

'I walked distant from it. There was nary 1 prepared to bash the close thing. It's been bubbling connected present successful Ormesby and Scratby for a agelong time.'

The latest councillor to discontinue is different Ormesby representative, Justin Rundle, who near a fewer months agone and is 'feeling amended now', having go a borough councillor for Great Yarmouth.

The carpenter, 47, resurrected the section fete successful 2020 aft a spread of 12 years but had to 'fight bony and nail to get that due to the fact that radical connected the parish assembly were trying to artifact it'.

He claimed Mr Holley wanted the fete successful Scratby 'so helium started 1 past twelvemonth and they had 1 successful the colony hall'.

'Parish councils are not a precise bully environment,' helium said.

Current assembly president Phil Nathan commented 'Good luck' erstwhile the Mail asked him what had been happening.

He said: 'We volition not beryllium commenting to anyone astir anything. It's a communicative being blown retired of proportionality for each the incorrect reasons. I suggest to you you bash not people this story.

'It you necessitate to person immoderate questions asked oregon answered, you should interaction the clerk of the assembly via the email code connected the website.'

Clerk Chris Batten admitted determination had been a 'falling out' astatine the October 2021 gathering and a 'formal missive of apology' had been sent to each the councillors – but said helium was 'not aware' of the details.

He confirmed constabulary had spoken to Mr Holley astir it but insisted: 'He's a forthright person. I person ne'er witnessed him bullying anyone and person not been bullied myself.'

Mr Batten added: 'To accidental cipher wants to articulation [the parish council] is incorrect. There's decidedly a disagreement but it's not a disagreement of the radical who be assembly meetings. It's a disagreement that is historic.

'Ormesby has been a co-joined assembly since 1947. I person been to each gathering since October and I person ne'er witnessed immoderate divide. I person enjoyed my clip truthful far.'

In a written effect astir the exhumation, helium added: 'Contrary to the proposition determination was nary grounds of the plot, determination so existed documentation… the eventual work lies with the clerk.'

He besides said the alleged comments astir dyslexia were 'factually inaccurate' arsenic the remark was 'prompted by a nonaccomplishment connected the portion of a clerk to disclose their dyslexia and the treatment revolved astir imaginable enactment mechanisms'.

Mr Holley laughed erstwhile asked astir the feud, saying: 'It's three-and-a-half years old.'

In narration to the bullying claims, helium added: 'I volition permission it to the parish assembly to woody with. I volition notify the chairman.'

In the meantime, the assembly is managing with 5 members from Ormesby and 4 from Scratby – leaving locals bemused and appalled by the concern successful adjacent measure.

One said successful an online forum: 'It's casual to spot wherefore the assembly is successful the authorities it is. Someone outer needs to beryllium stepping in.'

Norfolk Police refused to comment, though a root confirmed nary 1 had been 'charged for anything'.

A Norfolk Police spokeswoman said: 'Police received a ailment of a nationalist bid offence relating to swearing and threats being made during a parish assembly gathering astatine Ormesby connected October 5, 2021.

'Both parties were spoken to and nary further enactment was taken.'