A priest was told to pull over after he joined a county council meeting virtually while driving to a funeral.
Father Malcolm Lane was advised to pull over during a meeting of Monmouthshire County Council’s public services scrutiny committee.
The Conservative councillor for Mardy was also advised to turn his camera off.
Shortly after the meeting started, committee chairperson Armand Watts asked: “Malcolm, I’ve just got an observation here, are you driving?”
“Yeah, I’m driving. I’m actually off to conduct a funeral but I’m listening intently,” he replied.
Councillor Watts then muted himself to seek advice from a colleague, before he added: “My advice to you, ’cause I’m not sure where you are, obviously you’ve got important business this morning, would be to possibly pull over.”
Councillor Lane replied: “I will, of course”, before Councillor Watts then advised him to also “turn [his] camera off”.
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Councillor Lane has been a member of the council since 2017 and also works as a vicar.
One councillor wrote on the Microsoft Teams meeting’s chat function: “Malcolm should leave. Media could pick up on him driving, others have been caught.”
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Welsh government guidance says remote attendance at council meetings is intended to make participating easier for those who “may have to travel long distances, those with domestic responsibilities and those in employment”.
Sky News has asked Councillor Lane for a response.
