A CREWE councillor has accused Cheshire East Council of trying to ‘gag’ him after they officially withdrew legal action for defamation.

Last December, Brian Silvester, UKIP leader for Willaston and Rope ward, was threatened with legal action from Cheshire East Council over potentially defamatory comments made on the radio.

The letter, which Cllr Silvester tweeted, demanded a public apology for comments he made in an interview regarding council officer, Caroline Simpson.

The outspoken councillor accused the council of ‘heavy handed, bully boy and intimidatory tactics’, and now the council has written to Cllr Silvester informing him they will withdraw legal action.

Cllr Silvester said: “This legal threat was a blatant attempt to gag me and prevent me from speaking freely on behalf of my constituents.

“I hope the Council has learnt their lesson from this and they won’t use expensive lawyers from Birmingham to make threats in the future.

“I am also disappointed that none of the Councillors from other groups stepped forward to stand up for the right of a Cllr to speak freely.

“Residents pay their council tax and they expect the officers employed by the council to perform to the highest standard.

“When they don’t they need to be criticised and brought to account, just as they would be in the private sector. I am pleased that common sense has prevailed.”

Council Leader, Cllr Michael Jones has strongly denied that the council had tried to ‘gag’ the outspoken UKIP councillor.

Cllr Jones said he supported the decision to not pursue legal action against his fellow councillor, but accused Cllr Silvester of a ‘desperate desire for the oxygen of publicity’.

“No attempt was ever made to gag Cllr Silvester,” Cllr Jones said. “He remains quite at liberty to continue making erroneous and politically derogatory statements at will.

“But he and others should know that this council has a strong commitment to officers whose reputations come under fire unjustifiably.”

“I support the head of paid service writing to Cllr Silvester to inform him that we will not be pursuing an action for defamation, as I already stated this in January.

“Regrettably, Cllr Silvester shows scant regard for confidentiality. His desperate desire for the oxygen of publicity is only matched by his blatant errors.”