Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

You have to mind your p's and q's around here...

Wiltshire Council makes the Daily Mail and the BBC news - again.

The trouble began at a gathering of the Wiltshire Involvement Network, an independent health watchdog, in ­Potterne Wick, Devizes, when chairman Anna Farquhar, 70, noted that gossip about NHS changes had been spreading within the Health Service, remarking: ‘You ­cannot help the jungle drums'.

This was regarded as a racially offensive remark by Sonia Carr from the Wiltshire Racial Equality Council (WREC) who was present and demanded an apology. An apology was given but, apparently, it wasn't good enough and so a formal complaint was lodged.

Months later, and at a cost of thousands of pounds, Wiltshire Council agreed that the comment was offensive.

So, don't dare use phrases such as 'Chinese whisper' or 'bush telegraph' in case you too are branded a racist by a member of the WREC (which is part-funded by our council tax). For the full story follow this link.