A councillor behaved so intimidatingly to a woman at a council meeting that she felt ‘a real sense of threat’.

But local councils have no powers to discipline him other than to ask him to apologise. And, as he refused, they’ve been unable to take any further action.

Catherine Holden attended a meeting of Hartlebury Parish Council, as a member of the public, in June 2017 when she questioned the presence of Councillor Doug Ingram.

Mrs Holden said: “I’d questioned him previously at Ombersley Parish Council, where he said he’d resigned from Hartlebury Parish Council.”

At the meeting at Hartlebury, where Cllr Ingram was sitting as a councillor, Mrs Holden asked him why he was there when he said he’d stepped down.

She said: “He wagged his finger at me and said something like he’d see me in court. Then came over to me. I felt a real sense of threat, my husband, sitting behind me, had to stand up to warn him off, and he had to be restrained by a female councillor.”

Mrs Holden complained to Wychavon District Council’s Member Conduct Committee, which oversees the behaviour of district and parish and town councillors.

After an investigation by the monitoring officer, the committee’s chairman, Councillor Peter Tomlinson reported to the council: "The councillor involved [was asked to] make an apology to Ombersley Parish Council for misleading it, which he did.

"He was also asked to make an apology via Hartlebury Parish Council to the person concerned with his threatening behaviour.

"He has refused to do this and the district council has been powerless to seek redress for what was the more serious of the two offences which could have led to a report to the police.”

Mrs Holden, now a councillor herself on Hartlebury council, said: “I’ve received no apology. It seems councils just don’t have enough powers in a case like this.”

Cllr Ingram has not been available to respond to the Worcester News.

He no longer sits on Hartlebury council, but is still a member of Ombersley and Doverdale Parish Council.