Taila Taylor, deputy mayor of Attleborough, has declined to clarify what she has done with the money, which was part of £20,000 she was awarded in damages from the town council in 2021.

That settlement came after she lodged a successful claim with the authority that she had been defamed by colleagues on the council.

It included a clause that she would pass half of the money she received to a local charity or project based in the town.

Taila Taylor is the deputy mayor of Attleborough Town Council and also sits on Breckland Council (Image: Attleborough Town Council)

Ms Taylor, a Conservative who sits on Breckland as well as Attleborough council and has campaigned alongside the area's Tory MP George Freeman, is now facing growing calls to say whether she has made the donation and to what cause.

She has declined to do so but has denied breaching the terms of the agreement, claiming the council did not meet its own obligations under the settlement, removing the requirement for her to make the charitable donation.

The extraordinary row is just the latest in a string of bizarre controversies to engulf Attleborough Town Council in recent years, with the authority now known variously as Aggroborough and Battleborough, in reference to the ongoing turmoil.

WHY DID SHE RECEIVE THE MONEY?

Ms Taylor received the money following a bitter dispute with Attleborough Town Council after she and fellow member Edward Tyrer were removed from their committee roles in 2020, when bullying accusations were made against them by staff.

The move was subsequently ruled unlawful by a judge who said the council lacked the powers to sanction its members in such a a manner.

The ruling left the authority with a £114,000 bill to cover legal costs and damages.

Taila Taylor, pictured here in 2021, was awarded £20,000 following a legal dispute with the town council (Image: Archant)

Almost £71,000 of that was spent on the settlement agreement covering legal costs and damages for both councillors.

Mr Tyrer received £7,500 in damages while Ms Taylor received £20,000.

The council also issued a formal apology which said the accusations had been "false" and part of a "malicious campaign".

WHAT DID THE SETTLEMENT SAY?

The settlement, which was made in May 2021, stated: "In respect of the sums set out at clause 1.1.1 (and subject to full compliance of this Agreement by the Defendant [the council]) the First Claimant [Ms Taylor] shall pay the sum of £10,000 to a charity or project based in Attleborough of the First Claimant’s choice within 12 months of this Agreement."

WHAT DOES MS TAYLOR SAY?

The councillor has been questioned repeatedly in public forums about whether the pledge has been fulfilled. 

When asked at a town council meeting in 2024, she told locals that if she chose to share details "it would be out the generosity of my heart".

She added: “While no contributions have yet been committed it is still the intention and I don't think that actually at this point I have any more to say.

“It wasn't a pay-out , it was compensation for how poorly I was treated.”

She was questioned about it by a member of the public again at a council meeting earlier this month.

Ms Taylor replied: "It was compensation, and I'll say it was protected by legal privilege and I won't be answering your question. I'm not discussing it in this forum."

Ms Taylor was questioned about the donation at a council meeting last Monday (Image: Facebook)

When approached by this newspaper and asked to clarify whether the money had been paid, she said she would not do so.

She claimed that the council had itself failed to comply with the terms of the settlement, which she argued relieved her of the obligation to make the donation.

She said: "The clause relating to a £10,000 donation was expressly conditional. Clause 1.4 states that any such donation was 'subject to full compliance of this Agreement by the Defendant' and was to be made within 12 months of the agreement.

"Attleborough Town Council did not comply with the settlement terms within that period."

She claimed defamatory material which formed the basis of her original claim had remained on the council's website and YouTube channel for a significant period after the agreement was signed, and that when the council launched a new website in 2024 the required public apology was removed and had not been reinstated.

Attleborough Town Council has earned a reputation as Britain's most chaotic council in recent years due to bitter infighting and disputes with public (Image: Archant)

She said: "As that condition was not met, there was no contractual requirement for me to make any payment."

She added: "Reporting that the agreement imposed an unconditional obligation to donate £10,000 would not accurately reflect the terms of the settlement.

"I do not accept that I am in breach of any obligations under the agreement.

"The settlement payments themselves were damages awarded for defamation, malicious falsehood, and human rights breaches, and were not public funds.

"The agreement does not require me to publicly disclose personal financial decisions or provide proof of charitable donations."

She added that she had "supported a number of local good causes in Attleborough since the settlement as a matter of personal goodwill".

Ms Taylor is facing mounting criticism from her fellow councillors.

Attleborough Town Council, which has been bedevilled by feuds and infighting for years, has recently split into two loose factions.

One, known as the Taylors - made up of Ms Taylor, her mother and grandfather, as well as friends - is predominantly Conservative.

Both Ms Taylor and her mother, Samantha, sit on Attleborough Town Council (Image: Archant)

The other, known as the Newbies, is mostly made up of Reform members who are critical of the Taylors and have joined the authority more recently.

As the Newbies have grown in numbers, Ms Taylor has come under growing pressure over the £10,000.

Reform councillor Jacob Allen said: "If I had been awarded £10,000 in compensation and had been instructed to pay it into a local charity, I would be proud. 

“Councillor Taylor's commitment to hiding the truth breaks the Nolan principles - specifically those of objectivity, accountability, openness and honesty."

Fellow councillor Daniel Burcham, another Newbie, added: "At a time when Attleborough Town Council is already facing criticism over its handling of public finances, one would expect that she would clearly demonstrate that public funds have been spent responsibly by disclosing the charity that received the donation."

Neither Sam Chapman Allen, the Tory leader of Breckland Council, nor Mr Freeman, the Conservative MP for the area, have responded to a request for a comment.

George Freeman - who did not respond when approached to comment on the matter - spent time talking to local residents with Ms Taylor earlier this month (Image: Facebook)

WHAT ABOUT THE COUNCIL?

A spokesman for Attleborough Town Council said: “We are aware that Ms Taylor has provided a response outlining the legal context of the 2021 settlement agreement, including the conditional nature of the £10,000 clause and the council's obligations under it.

“For clarity, the Town Council is a corporate body of 15 members, and only four councillors who were serving at the time remain in office.

"The council's administration has also changed significantly, including the town clerk.

 “Accordingly, the matters you refer to relate to a previous council and administration, and do not reflect the actions of the current council.”

© Eastern Daily Press