AS mayor of an upmarket Hampshire town, he was one of its most respected citizens.

But town hall bosses are threatening to ban Mike Thorp from their meetings after accusing him of making offensive and defamatory remarks about councillors and senior employees, one of whom has resigned.

Mr Thorp, 75, is a former member of Lymington and Pennington Town Council and one of its most outspoken critics.

He attends almost all meetings and is often involved in heated exchanges with councillors and council officers, including town clerk Steve Cridland.

Mr Thorp is said to have accused finance officer Sue Finnimore of “fiddling the books” – an allegation described by Mr Cridland as “malicious” and “completely unfounded”.

As reported in the Daily Echo Mrs Finnimore later resigned, saying she had become “terrified” of attending council meetings.

The authority’s solicitors have now written to Mr Thorp, citing his comments about Mrs Finnimore and remarks he made earlier this month.

The letter says: “On October 1 you made a number of personal attacks, as you have done at previous meetings, on councillors and council staff which are unacceptable and had nothing to do with the council business at that meeting.

“At previous meetings you have also made derogatory remarks about the town clerk, stating he is useless and gives ‘rubbish advice’ to the council.

“These comments are unfounded, derogatory, offensive and defamatory.”

The two-page letter cites Mr Thorp’s “continued abuse” of the public’s right to address councillors and officers at the start of meetings.

It adds: “Unless you desist from this behaviour, the council will prevent you from addressing all or any future meetings of the council and exclude you from all or any future meetings.”

Last night Mr Thorp said the people of Lymington had a right to know how their money was being spent.

Asked about the incident involving Mrs Finnimore, he said councillors and officers were debating the town’s seawater baths when he commented: ‘Hey diddle diddle, another old fiddle’.

He added: “I apologised for that. It was done in the heat of the moment.”

Mr Thorp vowed to consult the organisation Justice if the council tried to ban him from its meetings.

Mr Cridland declined to comment, saying it was a matter between the authority and Mr Thorp.