Questions have been raised over the lack of appearances made in Helston by one of its Cornwall councillors.

Each month at the full meeting of Helston Town Council, time is set aside for the town’s three Cornwall councillors – John Martin, Mike Thomas and Andrew Wallis – to give reports on their work over the preceding few weeks and update members with any new developments, as well as take questions.

Councillor John Boase said: “I would like to make a request that councillor Andrew Wallis comes to the council and tells us what he’s been doing for the residents of this town. I don’t think we have seen him since the elections.”

Mr Boase added that he had a question relating to Mr Wallis’s council division that he wanted to ask him in person, but couldn’t.

“Can we ask him to please make an appearance at our council meetings?” he said.

Deputy town clerk Pamela Lavelle told councillors that Mr Wallis had given his apologies for last Thursday’s meeting and said he would be happy to answer any questions of councillors, before she acknowledged “but that’s not in a public forum.”

Mayor Gillian Geer agreed: “Perhaps we can point out he is part of Helston and we do need to speak to him in public.”

Responding to claims, Mr Wallis told the Packet this week: “I am not always able to attend the Helston Town Council meeting due to my commitments in Porthleven as mayor and town councillor, which often have meetings on the same day. I also have a job which enables me to earn a living and those working hours cover meeting times.

“Helston town councillors do not have to wait four weeks to ask me a question as they can email me or phone me anytime. However, no Helston town councillor has emailed me, phoned me or contacted me in any way for over four or five months, on any town council or division matter.

"I guess they do not have any pressing questions. If they did, they could have contacted me anytime. For instance, the last time I had an email from Councillor Boase was in 2014."