A LYME REGIS town councillor quoted Joseph Goebbels when describing the 'campaign of hate' she claims was waged against her colleagues.

In her final speech as an outgoing councillor, Lucy Campbell accused unnamed individuals of saying town councillors of being undemocratic and underhand - an allegation she said was 'simply untrue'.

Cllr Campbell quoted the Nazi propaganda minister, saying: "I think it was Joseph Goebbels that said, 'If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.'

"This is Lyme Regis; it's a much smaller scale but I think that has some resonance here."

She continued: "It's a real shame that they have been subjected to a campaign of hate", adding all the councillors 'have worked hard and have had the best of intentions.'

Cllr Campbell also hit out at discrimination aimed at her and herself and other members, saying when she was first elected she was slated for her age.

She said: "There were comments made after my first meeting by certain councillors - that I was a silly little girl, what did I think I was doing getting involved in local politics, that I wouldn't last five minutes.

"I like to think I have proved them wrong."

Discrimination was also at the forefront of other outgoing councillors' farewell speeches and discussions at the full council meeting.

Cllr Lorna Jenkin hit out over attacks on her place of birth, saying: "Sometimes I get told I'm not a local. I have lived in this town for 30 years and five generations of my family have lived in this town, including a great-grandchild."

Cllr O'Grady added: "We were criticised for not being local, and people called us 'aliens' after our first meeting."

But there was disagreement amongst members over whether discrimination existed in the town.

Cllr Anne Bradbury said members of the public had only been helpful and friendly towards her since she moved to the town in 1988.

She said: "I do apologise if people feel this way. Perhaps I am very lucky, but I have found the local people very helpful with anything I need."

Cllr Austin said: "There are at least two people (on this council) who have suffered from discrimination because of their place of birth.

"People that don't suffer from it are very lucky, but that doesn't mean that they should not be supporting those who do."

The allegations come after the council's strategy and policy committee recommended including 'discrimination by place of birth' to the authority's updated equality and diversity policy.

The town council is expected to consider the proposal after the election despite Cllr Michaela Ellis, Cllr Cheryl Reynolds and Cllr Owen Lovell voting against the addition.