THE leader of the main opposition on Braintree Council has been barred from attending some meetings following a bizarre row over a Facebook page.

Green and Independent group chief James Abbott has had his invitation to group leader and cabinet meetings revoked for the foreseeable future.

He has also been removed from the developing democracy committee, along with fellow Green and Independent councillor Nick Unsworth.

It comes following a heated row about inflammatory remarks made about Conservative councillors on a Facebook page called Better Braintree - together.

The Conservatives allege a member of the Green and Independent group has failed to remove degrading comments about Tory councillors on the page, despite having the option to as an administrator.

Council leader and Tory chief Graham Butland has held discussions with Mr Abbott to resolve the row.

But talks appear to have broken down and the ruling Conservatives have now taken action against Mr Abbott by banning him from meetings.

The matter came to light in a council meeting on Monday where Mr Butland alleged Conservative councillors had been the subject of name-calling on the Facebook page.

He also claimed Coggeshall councillor Tom Walsh - a member of the Green and Independent group - had failed to apologise for saying Tory members should “retire to their stables”.

Mr Butland said: “The issue is the way in which certain members of the Green and Independent group have behaved, both in social media, in the print media and in council itself.

“We’ve had remarks from members of the public which have been allowed to stay on that Facebook page accusing members of being criminals.

“Given that none of the comments that I have referred to have been removed, I can assume they are not considered to have gone too far.

“I made it clear that we were not prepared to work with people who behaved in that way.”

But Mr Abbott rubbished the claims and denied any involvement in the matter.

He said: “Councillor Butland is quite deliberately listing a whole load of things which have not been said or actioned by members of my group.

“They are completely irrelevant to the question we asked of why he is making drastic changes to membership of committees?

“I am amazed he is doing this and he is completely out of order.

“Those comments made on Better Braintree were not made by members of my group and I have absolutely no control over the Facebook page.”

Mr Butland responded by saying: “I accept councillor Abbott does not have any control over what appears on the page, I have not alleged that.

“I have said quite clearly that one of his group, who is an administrator, does have control over what appears on that group.

“For example,a slightly hilarious one, a picture I submitted about the swans and cygnets was not permitted to go on this Facebook page.

“However, this week there is a lovely picture of a swallowtail from Straits Mill which was allowed to go on.

“More importantly, remarks made about councillors generally have been allowed to go on the page.

“My group is not going to sit back and just take things that are out of order.”

Councillors voted in favour of removing Mr Abbott from the developing democracy committee.

He did however retain his position on other committees, such as planning.

Mr Butland said an offer to resolve the row and invite Mr Abbott back to group leader and cabinet meetings remained on the table.

He added: “I am hopeful there will still be an opportunity for us to reach a settlement that is satisfactory to all sides.”