SECURITY had to be called to a public consultation on St Botolph’s roundabout to eject a man who was filming members of the public without their permission.

On Wednesday, a public information event was held at the One Colchester Community Hub in Long Wyre Street as members of the public were invited to look at what a £12million redevelopment of the roundabout would look like.

The One Colchester Community Hub had opened from 2pm, but later in the evening, a man described by a source as being in his early 70s, disrupted the event when he started filming other members of the public on his mobile phone.

Despite people telling him to stop filming them, the man continued and members of security were called in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

A source told the Gazette: “The man kept on filming people, and despite being told to stop, he just kept going.

“He was just being a pain, basically.

“It was a dampener on what had otherwise been a positive event.”

Colchester Council responded by saying they made “every effort to engage” with the individual who refused to co-operate.

A spokesman for the council said: “While it was unfortunate that one individual disrupted the event and hindered others from engaging in fruitful conversations with our officers, it is important to note that we made every effort to engage with him and understand his viewpoints.

“Regrettably, he was unwilling to have a constructive dialogue and remained unresponsive to our perspectives.

“However, thanks to the prompt action of the venue staff who called for security, the situation was successfully diffused, and the man eventually left the event.”

The spokesman added, however, the event had largely been positive to see members of the public engage with the consultation.

He said: “It was truly encouraging to witness the active participation of numerous residents, businesses, and community groups in engaging with the proposals for future city centre developments.

“Despite this isolated incident at the end of the evening, the event proved to be immensely valuable, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the attendees who contributed to these crucial discussions about our proud city.”