Hadleigh's town council manager Cheryl Tye and mayor Frank Minns have been accused of using a relationship between a person who complained about the Christmas trees and a member of staff, as the reason for sending a solicitor's letter threatening legal action.

A resident used the public forum at last night's town council meeting to reveal the contents of emails between Cllr Minns and other councillors, which was leaked by a whistleblower.

The resident also claimed a member of staff had been the victim of intimidation amounting to bullying by the £42,000 a year Ms Tye, which he council were aware of but seemingly not acted upon.

The resident, who has asked not to be named publicly, which we have called Miss K, addressed the meeting to reveal she had sought her own legal advice after being baffled at why she had been singled out for legal action when other residents had also complained about the way Christmas trees in the town centre had been erected

She revealed Ms Tye was the person who drafted the legal letter, approved by Cllr Minns, without consulting other councillors first.

Miss K said: "Nothing I said about Ms Tye, the town council manager was inaccurate, false or defamatory. It was evidence based with a professional opinion alongside factual information gathering from the wider public within Hadleigh.

"These past actions of mine did not legally justify the legal letter I received.

"I have sought my own legal advice to ascertain this before I spoke in a recorded domain.

"At the time it made no sense why I got such a letter but as time has gone on it does make sense as to why I was singled out to receive such a legal letter when other residents who also aired concerns did not.

"I put it to you Cllr Minns that within the 10 days from our last civil and positive email correspondence to my legal letter arriving, Ms Tye, the town council manager discovered a relative of mine works for Hadleigh Feoffment Charity.

"It came to light to me only after I received my legal letter and discussed it with my relative. Upon showing them the letter they informed me that they have been subjected to intimidating and almost bullyish behaviour inflicted solely by Ms Tye the town council manager in their place of work."

Miss K went to claim that an email revealing the connection between her and the member of HTC was sent to councillors by Cllr Minns, leading to Cllr Beggerow to reply that Miss K's complaint was: 'engineered and put into the public domain with a view to defaming the TCM who is an employee of the Council to whom we have a duty of care'.

Her public statement continued: "It is therefore not a huge leap to assume, no leap at all really and how it presents to the wider public that I have been singled out and victimised with an end game of hurting me thus hurting my relative thus basically demonstrating a pathetic application of a job role to accommodate a personal point scoring game initiated by Ms Tye, all signed sealed and delivered with a stamp of your approval Cllr Minns even though apparently you 'urged caution' to Ms Tye in sending the letter when you read the contents prior to it being sent."

Miss K alleged her relative has had so much distress caused by Ms Tye that a grievance procedure may well be being undertaken when Ms Tye returns after her sick leave."

Miss K also asked Cllr Minns: "What about the duty of care you have to represent your public, the people who voted you in. Protecting me from Ms Tye.

"You saw the letter Ms Tye wanted to send Cllr Minns and you allowed it.

"How do you think I feel being made to be anxious and lose sleep over the threat of an injunction because I stood up for myself.

"That the town council, in which, I reside would rather play tit for tat games than actually keep the issues I have mentioned separate and deal with them in a professional manner in which we the residents trust you to do?

"My concerns are mine, whatever my relative does for a job is irrelevant.

"Because I kicked up such a fuss over the legal letter I feel you Cllr Minns composed your leaked email to spin the whole situation deflecting the real reason this all happened in the hope of protecting Ms Tye's poor judgment and actions.

"The facts here are Ms Tye has behaved in a poor manner and Cllr Minns has supported it."

Miss K then suggested Cllr Minns and some of his colleagues should consider joining the other three members who have resigned since this issue began.

She added: "The code of conduct broken here is abominable and those Cllrs involved should be ashamed. I, and many others, believe you should be considering your suitability in the seats you hold, the seats you have been given by the public, the public who trust you to represent them, not threaten them."

She concluded: "I would like to leave you all by saying things are black and white or right and wrong and I think it's time for the entire council to ask some questions, resolve this mess and individually decide if you support the moral side of right.

"I don't blame the Cllrs who have resigned at all as I personally wouldn't want to be associated with this council at this time."

Miss K also questioned the way the trees were taken down and no signs, closure or pedestrian safety was in place.

She said: "Body cameras do not prevent a visually impaired resident or child or whomever for walking into that dangerous situation Cllr Minns and that is why these legal highway rules are in place. To protect all members of the public."

Miss K also revealed she had been told by officers the cost of erecting the trees came to nearly £3,000 and asked: "Who on earth masterminded this grand plan of money wasting when in previous years a profit was actually made for the Hadleigh Market Feoffment Charity."

No one from the town council responded to Miss K's questions last night and said it would respond in writing.

Bruising night for mayor Minns.

Stormy meeting in legal letter row