A Reform UK councillor has been accused of "lifting his arse cheeks and farting" at another politician during a meeting at Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Around halfway into Thursday night’s four-hour council forum, a motion was briefly interrupted by a much louder motion that could be heard on the other side of the town hall chamber.
Fingers were pointed at Reform UK Councillor for Blackburn South East Andy Mahon, who was wearing a distinctive leopard print fedora and matching tie paired with a safari jacket, an outfit which would not have looked out of place in the Serengeti.
While the resounding flatulence was just a brief moment in a meeting that ranged from public questions to monthly updates from the executive, towards the end of the forum one councillor felt the need to speak up.
Cllr Tasleem Fazal, a member of the 4BwD group sitting across the aisle from Cllr Mahon, challenged the behaviour, saying: “What I do take issue with is the decorum in here of late and especially this evening.
“As elected members, we all respect one another’s positions; we’re all here on merit. But we have to respect one another also.”
Cllr Fazal claimed the disrespectful behaviour had begun at the start of the meeting, when a prayer is read, which on this occasion was from the Quran.
“There was some disrespect," he said, "I like to think I have got friends across the chamber and on the back of that I respect everybody equally.”
He also mentioned the “noise levels” and “silly comments”, but raised his voice to say: “I’ll tell you what I really take issue with: somebody lifting their arse cheeks higher than my mic in my direction, and blowing their arse out like we're at school."
Addressing the Mayor, Cllr Mahfooz Hussain, Cllr Fazal added: “I was really worried about shrapnel if he gets it wrong.
"I think all of the leaders of each party, with yourself, need to have a discussion outside of here and get this in order.
“I’m not going to come here meeting after meeting, putting up with childish behaviour.”
The meeting began with disorder and continued similarly, with a question about the council’s position on the Finnington “mega” warehouses appeal devolving into shouting from the public gallery and threats of removal.
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Following that, motions from Reform UK about playing the national anthem at full council meetings and Blackburn with Darwen’s involvement in the Afghan Resettlement Scheme saw frequent interruptions from points of order and background chatter.
One of these moments saw Cllr Mahon rebuked by the mayor for repeatedly laughing over Cllr Anthony Shaw, after he apologised for returning from the Labour Party’s Liverpool conference with a hoarse voice.
The mayor told him to stop and then threatened to have the councillor removed, saying: “It’s completely disrespectful, I hope it doesn’t happen in my chamber.”
Cllr Mahon responded: “It’s a natural reaction.”
Councillor Andy Mahon has been approached for comment on the allegations that he deliberately farted in the direction of Cllr Fazal.
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