Controversy continues at Meopham Parish Council after a fractious emergency meeting.

Councillors crammed into The Windmill on Meopham Green on Tuesday night and it quickly became clear the council is split, five against six.

A motion was put to ask the acting clerk to provide all councillors with copies of work carried out by solicitors on the council’s behalf, as they did not know what it was for.

Cllr Mark Everson, also treasurer of the council, said: “We’ve spent in excess of £10,000 and we should see the information that backs up these payments.”

A vote was taken on whether to make the information available but was defeated, five to six.

Those in favour - as with all the votes on the evening - were Cllrs James Ferrin, Mark Everson, Jo McTavish, Max Bramer and Sheila Buchanan.

Those against were Cllrs Douglas Powell, Harry Rayner, Kenneth Kemsley, Peter Hasler, Alison Aitken and Barbara Wade.

The next motion requested all instructions to solicitors go through the council’s responsible officer. This was voted against, five to six.

A request to Cllr Harry Rayner to disclose the “clear evidence he claims to have about criminal activities in Meopham Parish Council to the police” was also voted against.

An amendment was agreed that he would instead pass on his concerns to the monitoring officer at Gravesham council within a month.

A motion to have a vote of no confidence in Cllr Douglas Powell and Cllr Rayner was also voted against, five to six.

Cllr Bramer argued: “Cllr Rayner has not only brought in expensive legal advisers we do not need, he has plainly been instructing them in person even though he does not have the authority to do so.

"His and Cllr Powell's inflexibility and hostility have led the council into an employment tribunal case which is likely to cost us a lot of money in unrecoverable legal fees even if the council wins."