Police called to Wisbech Castle amid claims of harassment and bullying of volunteers

Accusations of bullying and harassment led to police being called to Wisbech Castle on Monday after two town councillors turned up demanding access.

Chairman of Wisbech Castle Working Party Councillor Steve Tierney said he was so worried about the situation, which arose as part of an ongoing row over whether or not a councillor is enjoying the Castle as a "grace and favour" place to live, that he decided to send volunteers working on the site home.

In a statement read out at Monday evening's Castle working party meeting, Coun Tierney launched a blistering attack on critics, accusing them of "an outright onslaught" on Coun Dave Topgood, who he said is one of the most dedicated volunteers carrying out hundreds of hours of voluntary work at the Grade II listed building.

Fellow town councillor Dave Patrick, who has demanded an investigation into whether or not Coun Topgood has been residing at the Castle, turned up at the gates of the building in The Crescent with council colleague Phil Wing and demanded access to the building.

However, volunteers refused to grant him access.

Coun Patrick denied his actions were "bullying or harassment" and said he simply wanted to get to the truth of what has been going on at the Castle and whether or not someone was living there without the proper permission.

He said he had a right as a councillor to inspect the building, but having been refused access had left and had done nothing to intimidate the volunteers inside the Castle.

However, town clerk Terry Jordan, who has promised to look into Coun Patrick's claims, said Coun Patrick did not have the right to just turn up and demand access.

And he added that it has previously been agreed that as voluntary caretaker, Coun Topgood can stay over at the Castle if he deems it necessary or if he has had a particularly long day of working to restore the building.

Mr Jordan said, for instance, there have been teething problems with the new security alarm, which has been going off through the night and Coun Topgood had stayed on site rather than go back and forth each time it sounded.

In his statement, Coun Tierney aid he had originally been against the town council taking over the running of the Castle because "there are some really unpleasant people around. People for whom nothing is ever good enough. Who know how to do nothing but criticise, snarl and sneer from their hidey holes.

"You could deliver the most perfect project ever and they would find a way to hate it and to pour scorn on it.

"I believe time and evidence has proven me right. For while huge numbers of local people have enjoyed the Castle and love the Castle, this tiny handful spit and hiss.

"In the last week this has resulted in an outright onslaught on one of our most dedicated volunteers. A volunteer who loves the Castle and has poured sweat and toil into it for years now. A volunteer who has done absolutely nothing wrong.

"If you have a question about the Castle, the correct person to ask is me. You might not like the answer, but you'll get an honest answer and you'll have to live with that.

"Our volunteers, even the ones who are also councillors, are not there for you to prey upon, to make false accusations about.

"Today, I had to send our volunteers home because some individuals felt it acceptable to hang around outside. The same individuals making accusations against volunteers.

"Now it may be that those individuals are the heroes of their own stories and are sure they are 'in the right'. But you should understand that your behaviour is seen as both intimidating and harassment to some volunteers.

"Our team was made to feel uncomfortable and bullied. Perhaps you did not mean that to be the case, but if so you should perhaps reflect on how your odd behaviour looks to others next time?

"If you have an issue, then the buck stops right here with me as the chairman and you should bring your issues to me."

A police spokesman said: "We were called at about 10.30am today (Monday) by a councillor concerned about the behaviour of two people outside the Castle in Wisbech.

"Officers attended the location on their routine patrols but there was nobody there and no evidence a crime had been committed."