Threats against my Town Council colleagues in Melksham

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the "Melksham independent News" - our fortnightly free local paper that is widely read in the town.

Death threats target Melksham’s mayoral team

Ironically, published in the same newspaper is my letter submitted a fortnight ago before all this blew up

[Chris from Nailsea]

I'm not going to 'like' grahame's post - not because I don't agree with it, but rather that I am shocked at those incidents - and he has my full support in this matter.

Anyone who chooses to give up some of their free time to improve their local community should be congratulated, not issued with death threats.

The police will hopefully be able to identify those involved. 

[broadgage]

Differing points of view on politics and other matters are fine, but threats to harm or kill or NOT fine. Or at least not in peacetime*.

Whilst it has not yet been possible to identify  the persons responsible for these threats, is there any evidence  as to what if any group or viewpoint they represent ?
The extreme or far right have been active recently in response to the recent murders of children in Southport. Could this be related ? Again they are entitled to their views, but are NOT entitled to threaten harm or death.

I would urge that anyone involved in politics should record all phone calls. It is simple to afterwards delete any call considered private, personal, or confidential. Any threats received may then be passed on to the police. A decent quality recording is likely to be of greater use to the police than simply remembering the call.

*In wartime I consider threats, including death threats, against the enemy to be fine. They should consider them selves lucky not to have been simply killed.
In the last war, threats against hitler were fine. In the current war, death threats against putin are fine.

[grahame]

Whilst it has not yet been possible to identify  the persons responsible for these threats, is there any evidence  as to what if any group or viewpoint they represent ?

I am all for open public information in most situations, but I think in this case there are reasons for not speculating widely, so I am not attempting to answer the question.   Let the police get on with doing their job as appropriate without giving those who have made the threats the oxygen and encouragement of publicity, nor any clues as to how the hunt to identify them is going.  And don't give others who might be inclined to do similar the idea of being copy cats, with the publicity become a "how to" guide.

From me, a "Thank You" to Chris from Nailsea for his post of support and to all those members who have added their likes to his support.  I appreciate that much more than a few words might suggest.  And, yes, I always have one eye open for my personal, family and colleague safety. We all do all the time - every time we cross the road - but this extends to other risks if we are, even just a little, visible in public.

[broadgage]

If you have any suspicion as to what group or organisation are behind this, then I agree that such should not be posted here, I would however urge passing any such suspicions to the police.

[grahame]

If you have any suspicion as what group or organisation are behind this, then I agree that such should not be posted here, I would however urge passing any such suspicions to the police.

Correct, agreed, and those are the approaches being taken.