NEWLY elected district councillor Andrew Connolly caused uproar at the first meeting of the new Tidworth Parish Council when he described the community centre where the council meets as 'a hovel'.

Mr Connolly said that the existing furniture gave a very bad impression to visitors.

The furniture consists of old sofas and rickety tables and chairs begged and borrowed from a variety of sources over previous decades.

After Tidworth Trust chief executive Steve Lawton explained that the council could move into a new permanent community building in as little as three years many councillors bel-ieved that Tidworth should carry on with its old furniture until then.

But after the meeting Andrew Connolly, a former chairman of the parish council, outlined his concerns.

"How the public would laugh if they could see our parochial squalor," he said.

"You only need look at the purpose-built, plush offices that some of our councillors work in, and yet the same councillors are happy to conduct serious council business in surroundings fit only for the local youth club.

"I suggest that councillors have the same rights as any emplyee, including adequate space in which to work without overcrowding and a seat to sit on that doesn't make your backside ache after 10 minutes."

Meanwhile civilian children have been told 'you can't play here' by military families who believe new play areas in Tidworth are exclusively for army children, it was claimed at the same meeting.

Mark Edmonds made the claim at the parish council meeting and said civilian children had been 'shooed away'.

Military representative Col Tony Bateman said he would be 'most surprised if the new play areas were military only'. He promised to check the situation with the Defence Housing Executive.

Newly-elected councillor Baz Reilly, said: "Why not place signs in the play areas saying they are for the use of everybody."

District councillor Andrew Connolly, said: "We do need a positive lead on this and I would back the idea of signs."