A PARISH council meeting was brought to an abrupt end after a fight broke out.

A council spokeswoman said police were called to the allotments committee meeting of Briercliffe Parish Council.

Burnley councillor Margaret Lishman was chairing the meeting, which took place on Monday night.

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She said: “The meeting had to be adjourned because a fight broke out between some members of the public.

“The matter is with the police at the present time so it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.”

A police spokeswoman said the matter was under investigation and officers were reviewing video footage of the incident.

She said no arrests had been made, but police were looking into possible public order offences.

The fight is believed to have started over an ongoing dispute concerning sheep grazing rights. The meeting, in Briercliffe Community Centre in Jubilee Street, had to be adjourned after discussions on the matter became heated and swear words were exchanged.

Former parish councillor Sarah Seed has been involved in protracted negotiations over grazing land for her sheep Millie, along with fellow councillor Colin Meeks.

She resigned earlier this month, along with Coun Meeks, and lodged a standards complaint with Burnley Council.

The scuffle broke out at the meeting and involved council lengthsman Michael Greenwood and Mrs Seed’s husband Jimmy, as well as several others.

Mr Greenwood works as a contractor for the Parish Council, as council lengthsman. Lengthsmen are employed by parish councils to tend to parts of the village such as commons and village greens, and maintain drainage into fields and public areas.

Mrs Seed said: “It started in the community centre.

“There was just a scuffle. Nobody really punched anyone else, it was six of one and half a dozen of the other.

“I’m not surprised that a fight broke out.”

“It’s the way they’re treating people in the parish that we disagree with.”

Mr Greenwood could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Another member of the public who was at the meeting, Paul Stowell, said: “It was fight between a member of the public and the parish council lengthsman.

“The meeting stopped when it spilled outside and police were called.”