A THURROCK councillor has spoken of her disappointment at being targeted on a local social media page because she visited a country park recently.

Cllr Lyn Worrall, who represents the Grays Thurrock ward, found herself the target of a hostile post on a Tilbury Facebook page after she posted pictures from the park on her own page.

She says she felt bullied and abused by a long time friend, Andrew Cox, who took to Facebook to vent his anger about her being in a park outside of her immediate neighbourhood. Mr Cox said: "You have disappointed and angered me. I no longer want you as a friend."

However, Cllr Worrall adds she has been heartened by many supportive posts.

Mr Cox criticised her for allegedly breaching social distancing guidelines.

But Cllr Worrall says: "A friend called to say a family member could not buy baby milk and was panicking. Being the person I am I offered to get some and take it over to her in Brentwood.

"Jake, my son suggested we went together and go for our walk on the way back.

"Brentwood Park was open so we parked in an adjacent road and walked over. We had a lovely afternoon walking through the woods and see no more than one couple , a jogger and lots of squirrels. We got some lovely photos so I shared them. And that is it... we went for a walk in the park as our daily exercise."

Cllr Worrall then added: "Even now I feel absolutely bullied by someone who I felt was a friend ( I have known him over 40 years).

"I explained why I was there but he couldn't accept that I am allowed to go for my daily exercise. The abuse went on for some time and he argued with everybody on my post that agreed I had done nothing wrong and that in all fairness it wasn't his business anyway .

"He then ramped up his abuse and said he was going to report me to the council for abusing my position, what that meant I have absolutely no idea. He even questioned why I was walking with my son and whether I lived with him, which of course I do. In the end I turned the post on my page to only me that could see it and blocked him.

"People that don't even know me sent me the screenshots that he had shared my Facebook post on various discussion pages. Several just took them down and blocked him. I spent the morning answering messages of support from residents across Thurrock.

"Yesterday (Sunday, 12 April) I walked to drop my mum her Easter present off on her doorstep. I spent the whole time crossing the road or moving to a safe distance from other walkers. It was definitely a less stressful walk in the woods."