Local councillor misses six months of meetings after 'moving to Thailand'

A Councillor for a town in Suffolk has 'sold him home and moved to Thailand', and missed six months worth of meetings despite holding an elected post in the UK.

Councillor Tony Miller, of Hadleigh Town council has failed to attend a meeting since February, but is still listed as an elected official.

Local reports suggest he has allegedly sold up and moved more than 3,800 miles away to Thailand, with social media posts showing him lapping up the sun on luxurious beaches.

All the while the Councillor has extended his apologies for not being able to come to council meetings.

One image, shared by a local newspaper, shows him dipping his feet in the water whilst resting on the beach with the hashtag "beach vibes" as he describes it as 'Paradise'.

His extended period of absence saw another Councillor, Trevor Bygate, make a proposal which would have changed the authorities absence policy, requiring councillors to state why they were absent.

But the motion was shockingly sidelined, with other members voting to move to the next order of business and leave the motion unread.

Local reporting suggests that councillors are restricted from speaking to the press, and are "not permitted to misrepresent the corporate position and views of the council, or to damage the reputation of others in the council or the council itself".

Mr Bygate, who spoke to local media as a 'member of the public' said that he had been "accused of questioning the clerk's integrity" just for raising the issue. And that the council had attempted to "silence a legitimate concern about transparency and accountability".

He added that "Residents should also be aware of the facts: The family home where the Millers were living was sold in March, he last attended a council meeting in February, and since then he has spent time abroad before relocating to Thailand, where he has been seen ever since."

Cllr Miller was approached for comment, and the local town clerk confirmed that the council did "not wish to comment on this matter".