The proposed recording was met with opposition when both Councillor Tessa de Galleani and Clerk to the Town Council, Tracy Rowe, demanded that their faces should not be filmed. Cllr de Galleani repeated the demand just before a general purposes committee meeting of the council and video filming, began.

Prior to the filming, Jackie Smith, Managing Director Tindle Newspapers (South Hams & West Cornwall), was contacted by councillors and the Town Clerk, Tracy Rowe, who expressed dissatisfaction that the video record was to be made.

Although filming had started just after the beginning of the meeting, and had stopped promptly at the end of the committee meeting, Cllr Gina Coles, demanded that the cameraman, Mr John Walker, delete the footage she thought was taken before the meeting started.

Reassurance by both the Chronicle reporter and Mr Walker, that recording had begun at 6pm, that the meeting had begun and that the chairman was already speaking, brought only a demand that the video be rewound so that Cllr Coles could review it.

When this was done, Cllr Coles claimed: ”I am not fooled by you. I am smart. You can’t fool me. You must have deleted it.” A request by Mr Walker for an apology was ignored.

On Friday, July 21st, an edited version of the video was aired briefly by John Walker on social media with the face of the chairman, Cllr de Galleani, blocked out by a white blob, as she had requested of Mr Walker. However, this was not in accordance with the notice given to the Town Clerk prior to recording and the footage was removed at the request of The Chronicle.

An unedited copy of the recording accompanies this article.