Shaftesbury Town Council has given town clerk Claire Commons permission to spend up to £20,000 to buy personal protection equipment (PPE) for care and social workers in the town to help them in the fight against the corona virus pandemic, reports Richard Thomas.

But the agreement, made at a special meeting held remotely today, 14 April, for the first time under the new ‘Covid 19’ rules, was not made without a furious row taking place between councillors in the process.

At one point during the meeting, held using the new Zoom technology, Councillor Tim Cook, chairing the meeting as town mayor, was forced to ‘mute’ everyone taking part to calm things down.

Insults such as ‘liar’, ‘stupid’ and ‘puffed up’ flew online between those members of the council who supported the idea and those who thought it was not the council’s job to intervene.

It was not made clear what sort of PPE equipment Mrs Commons is to buy but it is believed to be face shields.