You may have noticed an outbreak of institutional Tourette's at some of our councils recently.

This unfortunate condition manifests itself as a nervous and repetitive tic that impels local bigwigs to get involved in stuff over which they have no relevance or competence whatsoever.

By this I mean they spend their time and your money on issues which are either outside their control or where they misuse powers within their control. All the while failing to plan for the very services they are charged with actually delivering.

Generalissimo John Ward is a case in point. The Babergh District Council leader, still mincing along a political tightrope to stave off the permanent threat to his position in the personages of Councillors Queenie Dawson and Toad Barrett, has gone all geopolitical.

Generalissimo proposed a motion at last week's full council condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

I'm in no way minimising the bestial horrors being wreaked upon the citizens of Kyiv/Kiev, Kharkiv, Mariupol and other Ukrainian town and cities.

But unless the Babergh depot at Pykenham Way is hosting anti-aircraft weaponry or Generalissimo's own front room is being given over to the production of Molotov Cocktails (that'll dissuade Footsie Grutchfield), I can't quite see the point of such grandstanding, unless it be to accord him a few easy PR-points.

I could, of course, be quite wrong. Maybe, just maybe, the following scenario has been playing out in the deep, dark bunker at the epicentre of the Kremlin:

Putin (for it is he): What news now?

Blanched-faced Russian general: Our tanks have failed to encircle Kyiv/Kiev.

Putin: It's an over-rated tourist destination. Anything else?

Blanched-faced Russian general: International sanctions have resulted in massive food shortages here in Russia.

Putin: What's wrong with potato peeling soup? Anything else?

Blanched-faced Russian general: We're losing the culture war – Russian composers are being dropped from concerts

Putin: Ah, but Rasputin by Boney M is still allowed. Anything else?

Blanched-faced Russian general: Generalissimo Ward has condemned you.

Putin: Ward? Condemned me? Now, that is terrible news. He is merciless. If you think what we did to Mariupol is bad, just look at the state of Corks Lane. Time to sue for peace.

Doubtless, Babergh has already commissioned a local artist for the official portrait of Generalissimo looking suitably military astride a rocking horse and waving a walking stick in defiance.

All much more fun than Babergh actually pulling its finger out and identifying properties it owns that might be suitable to house Ukrainian refugees. This appears to be all too much hard work for Generalissimo.

And onto Hadleigh Town Council, which must be the bookies' favourite to win the 2022 'Council most likely to take a hammer to a nut' award.

The decision to fire off a threatening solicitors' letter to a resident who had raised safety concerns about the High Street Christmas trees has been well covered by Hadleigh Nub news.

It now emerges that the letter was most probably cooked up by Maritime Minns, erstwhile mayor and his first Mate/Matess Cheryl Tye, the equally erstwhile town 'manager'.

It's drafting and despatch certainly bypassed all other councillors and appears to be a breach of the Council's own standing orders and possibly the Local Government Act.

One councillor has expressed his regret at this sequence of events, but to my knowledge there has been no official apology to the citizen who received the cease and desist letter.

The cost of this mess is likely to be rather high. Financially, lawyers don't come cheap, especially those that purvey threatening letters. Add to that the staff time taken up with this episode and the loss incurred by staging the associated Christmas Fayre (with a private company netting a useful profit) and we're probably talking well into four figures.

Reputationally, this whole farce, followed similar pratfalls in recent years, threatens to overwhelm once and for all what locals think of their town council. One more example of over-reach and Hadleigh will be even less popular than Putin.

Babergh leader's angry response

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Tangible support.Ukrainian family, with dog, has found a home in Suffolk