The newly elected leader of Wisbech Town Council Councillor Sam Hoy has apologised to fellow councillor Alan Lay for remarks made on social media last week.

Cllr Hoy is chairman of the conduct committee of Fenland Council and the monitoring officer Carol Pilson who handles complaints involving councillors brokered the apology last Thursday.

In a Facebook post Cllr Hoy claimed that Cllr Lay had criticised members of the newly former Wisbech Voices group that staged a protest at last Monday’s town council meeting.

Cllr Hoy said that Cllr Lay had voted for her as leader “which I thought showed he could rise above this all, and he commented to colleagues after that he found the behaviour of members of the public awful.”

However Cllr Lay denied categorically he had ever said such a thing about the behaviour of the public and complained to the monitoring officer.

“Carol called me at 3pm on Thursday to say she had spoken to Miss Hoy, who said she had got her comments from the Conservative members of the planning sub committee that met after the town council meeting.

“I do not know who or what was said, all I know is that apart from planning interest I have nothing to say to them and they likewise, have nothing to say to me.”

Cllr Hoy later deleted her remarks on Facebook noting that “Alan Lay has told me he didn’t say that it had been a bad meeting so I am sorry I said he did. I was misinformed.”

Cllr Lay said: “The reply from Cllr. Sam Hoy is nowhere near to what I want or expected.

“I asked for, and require a formal apology. She is the chair of Fenland Council conduct committee and leader of the town council. She has to realise that there is a standard to keep up to.

“To get just two lines saying she was “misinformed” is not acceptable to me. What she gathered hearsay and she has assumed it was fact. “For someone in her position, this is a grave error of judgement.

“I am not going to suggest what she needs to state to me, and the public, but she has to do much better!

“If not, I will have to take this further; what is more, I am still waiting for the requested e-mail apology.”