I don't always agree with what people say but I'll always defend their right to say it.

Freedom of speech, after all, is a cornerstone of democracy.

However, it saddens me when this fundamental human right is used to promote propaganda, causing unease among the public.

Malcolm Troak (Letters, November 25) wrote that the last meeting of our full council was shambolic and misleading. Absolutely spot on. Let's discuss why that was.

Prior to the meeting, a mischief maker distributed a poster inviting people to express their anger over several provocative issues including the complete lie that people are no longer allowed to walk their dogs on Telscombe Tye. (They are.)

Understandably troubled, many Tye users and residents turned up en masse for the advertised showdown.

Unfortunately, this "meeting" didn't actually exist. There were no speakers, organisers or even a room booked for the event.

Instead, the crowd found themselves smack bang in the middle of a full town council meeting with one major priority that evening: To discuss the precept (the town's spending of its share of council tax).

I did feel sorry for people having been manipulated in such a horrid way so I did what I could to accommodate what can only be described as an increasingly unruly gathering. But a lively meeting is always better than a deadly dull one, although it is quite exhausting if you're the one supposedly in charge.

Mr Troak now wants a meeting about the tye. He is always welcome to attend town council meetings and ask questions in the allocated time slot.

In due course, I hope we can learn to live with the fencing and continue to love the tye for what it is: An almost unique ecosystem, the green heart of our community, a rare jewel we have a duty to protect and repair so generations may appreciate what we take for granted.

That is why Defra funded the fencing: To allow our tye to be farmed in a more sustainable manner, fitting for an environmentally-sensitive area. The fencing is a necessary sacrifice. I don't like it, either but I put the needs of the land before my own desires.

-Marina Pepper, Mayor of Telscombe, Telscombe Civic Centre, South Coast Road, Telscombe Cliffs