BASILDON council's leader has been called out on social media by Poundland.

Gavin Callaghan has entered an exchange with the UK chain store on Twitter, after they issued a statement in response to his comments made about him trying to prevent former Conservative administration’s plans to sell a £1,025,000 plot of green land to a first-time developer for £1 to build a hotel.

Mr Callaghan has referred to the deal as "The Poundland Hotel" in council debates and interviews with news publications.

In their statement issued to their 119,000 followers, the company told Mr Callaghan: "While your politics is your business not ours, our 18,000 colleagues don't really appreciate the name of the business they work hard for being used pejoratively.

"But we have 31 stores in Essex. So even if that doesn't give you pause for thought, maybe the fact that, a fair proportion of those 18,000 people may have recently voted to give you your recent promotion, will.

"They would probably be grateful if you could think of another name to use for your local newspaper soundbites. Not least because I'm sure you wouldn't want to be accused of losing touch with the ordinary people who you were elected to serve."

 

Mr Callaghan responded: "Totally get why Poundland don't want to be associated with Tory plan to sell £1m land for £1, it's terrible business. Basildon deserves better. That’s why I was elected.

"Give me a name and address for someone to correspond with your end. I’d hate for us to be unprofessional."

Former council chairman David Dadds added: "I have raised this with Cllr Callaghan on many occasions. He uses the phase often in a pejorative and or derogative manner, which is wrong."