A parish council chair said she is no longer replying to anonymous emails after receiving more claims questioning her impartially.

Maggie Oechsle, chairman of Yaxham Parish Council, received the emails after two Conservative candidates for the Breckland elections pulled out of an event at Yaxham Village Hall on April 15.

The pair, Paul Claussen and Paul Plummer, said they withdrew from the event due to worries that Mrs Oechsle was not in a position to impartially chair the meeting, having stood against the Conservatives in the Mattishall Ward by-election 10 months ago as an independent candidate.

Eastern Daily Press: Maggie Oechsle, chairman of Yaxham Parish Council, has received the emails following the fallout after two Conservative candidates for the Breckland elections pulled out of an event at Yaxham village hall on April 15.Maggie Oechsle, chairman of Yaxham Parish Council, has received the emails following the fallout after two Conservative candidates for the Breckland elections pulled out of an event at Yaxham village hall on April 15. (Image: Archant)

The event still went ahead with both the Labour candidate Bob Burrell and the Green Party’s Ann Bowyer in attendance.

Since then, Mrs Oechsle has received two emails from an unknown individual questioning her.

“I am not replying anymore, if the person cannot put their name and have a proper debate then I am not interested," she said.

"Having served for 20 years as a magistrate on the Norfolk bench and as a bench chairman, I find the suggestion that I am unable to be an impartial chairman at a hustings very offensive."

Eastern Daily Press: Maggie Oechsle, chairman of Yaxham Parish Council,Maggie Oechsle, chairman of Yaxham Parish Council, (Image: Susan Martin)

This newspaper was copied into the email sent to Mrs Oechsle which questioned her impartiality.

It said if she stood against Labour and Conservatives, she could claim to be impartial and questioned her intelligence.

Mrs Oechsle said: “I play a straight bat and I do not play political games and I resent the implication to the contrary.

"Yaxham Parish Council will work with any district councillor of whatever hue who will properly represent the village's interest and councillors will always challenge their elected representatives if necessary.  

“This is surely the very bedrock of local democracy.”

Mrs Oechsle said she was now considering her options on what to do next in the wake of the hustings' fallout.