A SENIOR councillor’s claim that she was ridiculing herself when she said “Who ate all the pies?”at a public meeting “does not ring true”, according to the teacher who complained to the council.

Angela Neal was watching a livestream of last week’s full council meeting when she heard Cllr Linda Thomas make the remark following a shout from the public gallery.

The council’s deputy leader insists that she was referring to herself in a “self-derogatory way” after hearing someone call her “fatty”.

However, Mrs Neal, says she is unconvinced by the explanation.

The 47-year-old, from Bromley Cross, said: “Cllr Thomas has said that whoever watched the video has taken it out of context, but I haven’t.

“It is clear for everyone to see what happened when you watch the livestream.

“I don’t think she was referring to herself, it is clearly in response to someone in the gallery.

“It is awful if you are being harassed or heckled, but if you are going to be in public office then you have to expect that.

“To say she was talking about herself just doesn’t ring true to me.

“I’m not interested in the politics of the budget or anything like that, I’m just interested in the council being run with integrity.”

Complaint after Cllr Linda Thomas filmed saying ‘Who ate all the pies?’ at Bolton Council meeting

Chris Banks, from the Bin The Slim Bin campaign group, videoed the meeting from the public gallery and says that he did not hear anyone call Cllr Thomas “fatty”.

He said: “I was sat next to the man who shouted the comment before she made that remark.

“It was about the £300,000 grant to Asons, but he didn’t say anything that was abusive.

“I was in the public gallery and nobody called her ‘fatty’ or anything like that.”