WISBECH town councillor Richard Fulcher was with the town’s most senior police officer on Monday - but didn’t realise at the time how quickly he would need to avail himself of his services.

Cllr Fulcher joined several council colleagues at the nearby Hare and Hounds after listening, at a town council meeting, to sector commander Inspector Andy Sullivan.

After his colleagues left the bar, Cllr Fulcher found himself alone at the bar discussing with the landlady the state of the fire ravaged Phoenix Hotel.

“Two travellers walked in, drunk, and one of looked at me said ‘you’re one of those council bods’,” reclalls Cllr Fulcher. “The other grabbed me, tried to rip off my town council badge and threw my case on the bar. One hit me round the back of the head and the other kicked me somewhere private and painful.

“I got a boot up my backside and went down like a sack of potatoes.”

Later he phoned police with their details - having also managed to get a car registration number - but says he was frustrated when told there was no police officer available.

“They were dealing with a car which had ploughed into a house,” said Cllr Fulcher.

However, he’s determined to get those responsible brought to book and has since been interviewed by police.

“If we don’t stand up to this sort of behaviour next time it could be worse,” he added.

Insp Sullivan confirmed to me his CID team were now involved.