Politicians at all levels are all-too aware that you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
But the members of Hoveton Community Council have discovered that they can’t please one person any of the time.
For the past three years they have been under siege from an anonymous local who posts mocking and vitriolic comments on a hoax online newspaper called the Hoveton and Belaugh Bugle.
Unsubstantiated claims of nepotism and cronyism are mixed with accusations that public money is being wasted and declarations of interest are not recorded.
One councillor has even complained of being stuck in her own ‘Baby Reindeer’ nightmare – in a reference to the hit Netflix stalker black comedy thriller – after finding herself targeted personally.
Kerry Walker has been booked in for a psychiatric assessment at a Harley St clinic, signed up for window replacements, house valuations, a Skoda test drive and even added to the Reform UK mailing list.
She also received a call from an insurance claims specialist the day after an image of a car crash appeared on the Bugle.
Mrs Walker complained: ‘It feels like I have found myself in my own “Baby Reindeer” story – or, perhaps, baby muntjac. It is just bizarre.’
Norfolk Police were made aware of the situation after a comment was posted about shooting councillors when a plan to host Hoveton Airgun Club at the village hall was mooted – but closed an investigation last month due to ‘the absence of further lines of enquiry’.
The Bugle, which is published on a Facebook page, declares itself a ‘specialist in Edwardian curtain twitchers’ brought to its 174 followers – who represent a large proportion of the 2,000 local residents – by ‘Stench and Launders Productions’.
The phone number it lists is the support line for the Mind mental health charity.
A recent post calls on fans to ‘join the parish (sic) council: power, perks and more than a hint of nepotism’.
It adds: ‘Welcome to Hoveton Parish Council, where you can make a difference… especially for your friends and family!
‘Imagine a world where you’re the kingpin of community decisions, the gatekeeper of permits, and the hero who fast-tracks approvals for the people you care about the most.’
Another entry has a mock ‘Allergy Alert’ that shows photos of council members and claims they are ‘allergic’ to declarations of personal interests.
A complaint about the council precept increasing by ‘a huge ten per cent’ rails at ‘a whopping 31 per cent more in staff salaries’ while a parish warden has been ‘off sick for ages’.
North Norfolk District Council’s monitoring officer also received a complaint from the Bugle about Mrs Walker allegedly failing to declare an interest at a meeting in January when a friend’s request for permission to operate a waterfowl and rescue stand was approved.
She strenuously denied any wrongdoing or that she would see any personal benefit from the project and the council didn’t take the matter further as it was ‘unable to confirm the complainant’s details’.
A Facebook user, who the Mail has chosen not to identify, was linked to the Bugle by local media and described themselves as a ‘newshound’ in their biography.
When they were contacted, they said: ‘You need to contact the Bugle. I don’t do press and keep my name out of your paper.’
Mrs Walker, who has her own Facebook page, the Broads Bulletin, which delivers local news to 5,300 followers, told the Mail: ‘It’s a shame that being in local government and trying to make the community a better place puts people at the risk of this kind of harassment.’
Councillors in Hoveton – a pretty village on the Norfolk Broads whose notable sons include cricket commentator Henry ‘Blowers’ Blofeld – previously complained of being harassed by members of the public in 2019.
It prompted the then chairman, Martin Richmond, to write an open letter in which he complained of ‘baseless complaints’ being made to the district council by people who were ‘planting derogatory stories’ and spouting ‘verbal abuse’.
Current chairman Russell Reeve said today/yesterday: ‘It’s unfortunate that these sorts of events have occurred… [but] it’s not unique in our level of local government.
‘We have got to get a firm message out that if you have a concern, we are an open and honest organisation and would be more than happy for an individual to approach us and get an explanation for what may or may not have occurred, rather than resorting to Facebook posts.’
Norfolk Police were contacted for a comment.