Councillors from Lincolnshire have questioned efforts to fight global warming, after doubts that people in Lincolnshire can make a difference to climate change. Conservative councillor Oliver Peeke claimed that in a few years time people would look back and realise that the eco-agenda was a waste of time and that it had been “created by an industry just to make money”. His Tory colleague Eddie Strengiel added that there was “no point” in turning off lights.

Independent councillor William Buchanan from Falkirk criticised Ministry of Defence plans to destroy reports on the activity of extra-terrestrial watchers in Scotland. In the 1990s, hundreds of people claimed to have seen UFO’s near the town of Bonnybridge. William Buchanan said destroying these files would be undemocratic, adding: “As a democracy, we should be able to scrutinise information about UFOs.”

Conservative councillor Jean Teesdale from Wycombe urged local residents to visit their pubs in Buckinghamshire to avoid them being turned into restaurants. She complained that national planning rules allow pub owners to transform their business into a restaurant but not the other way round. Many local pubs have been hit by the economic downturn. In her call for support, Teesdale promised to lobby for a change to national pub rules.

Highland Perthshire councillor Ken Lyall has been suspended from the SNP group on Perth and Kinross council following an email scandal. It is thought that an email to constituents relating to shift patterns of the local fire service may leave him exposed to action by the Standards Commission, although the details of the email remain unknown. A decision will be made internally by the council in the coming weeks.