KIRKLEES Council hired private security guards who prevented residents attending a public meeting.
The council last night admitted it had spent £100 on two bouncers for Huddersfield Town Hall last Wednesday.
The guards stopped 70 protesters from entering the town hall to attend a vital public meeting where councillors decided on £31m of cuts.
Twelve protesters were allowed into the town hall in time for the start of the meeting at 5pm, and another 10 were admitted later.
A council spokesman said yesterday: “The potential for a demonstration, coupled with the presence of Mrs Sunderland Music Festival goers in the same building, more than justified the small additional cost of employing two outside security staff for a short period of time.
“The council does not employ permanent security guards as this would not offer value for money, so two outside staff were brought in at a total cost of around £100.”
Police were called on Wednesday evening after a stand-off developed between the protesters and security staff in the town hall foyer.
Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan alleged on Wednesday evening that protesters had attacked Kirklees staff and punched a female employee in the face.
But police said last week that no arrests had been made and no crimes reported.
A Kirklees spokesman said last night it was “up to individual members of staff” to report an assault.
Council officials are studying CCTV of the incident.
