POLICE have been contacted after the former mayor of Cheshire East has been targeted by hate mail.

Independent Cllr Sarah Pochin told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she is determined to stand up to the ‘bully’ and ‘coward’ behind this latest poison pen letter.

It is the second time she has had to contact police because someone has tried to intimidate her in her role as a councillor.

This latest letter targeting Cllr Pochin was sent to her via Cheshire East’s Westfields HQ and was opened by a council staff member.

Cllr Pochin said: “Anyone that sends anonymous hate mail is nothing more than a bully and a coward. It makes me even more determined to stand up to it.

“The content is political at a Cheshire East level and I’ve been to the police again as this is not the first time this has happened.”

This year’s mayor, Cllr David Marren, asked councillors at this week’s meeting of the full council to give their support to the Bunbury councillor, who did not attend the meeting.

Knutsford Guardian:

Cllr David Marren

Cllr Marren (Independent) told the full council: “If you read the newspapers or watch and listen to the news, there is clearly a lot going on politically at national level and some of it not overly pleasant.

“What is often missed is that similar can take place at local level and I’m saddened to report that our last mayor, Cllr Sarah Pochin, has once again been the target of political hate mail and this has been reported to the police.

“I know that Cllr Pochin was initially upset by this attack but, with support, has mostly put it behind her.

“I’d ask all councillors to give Cllr Pochin their friendship and support, and I don’t mean that in a political way, and I urge anyone who receives or is the subject of malicious communication, to report those instances to the police.”

Both Cllr Pochin and Cllr Marren were plagued by vile and intimidating hate mail in 2017. At that time both were Conservative councillors.

The poison pen letters, which they showed to this reporter at that time, were threatening and intimidating and too obscene to be published by the media.