A frustrated councillor walked out of a meeting in Tywyn when a fellow councillor called for the names of members of a working group set up to rebrand the town to be made public.

At last week’s Tywyn Town Council meeting, Cllr Mike Stevens asked for the names of the members of the rebrand working group to be made public, but the clerk of the council, Francesca Pridding, said that was not possible without written permission from the individuals, as most of them are not members of the council.

The discussion led to Cllr Alun Wyn Evans walking out.

Speaking to the Cambrian News he said he left for “a number of reasons”.

Feeling “frustrated” by the question, he said he wanted there to be a more positive approach to the working group.

Commenting on leaving the meeting early, he said: “It was a combination of things. It was tiredness - I have been working 6am until 6pm recently - and people constantly questioning things.

“If you have people willing to stand in a working group, you have to be positive and look forward.

“The questions being asked have already been answered. We’re not moving forward, we’re moving backwards.”

Cllr Mike Stevens told the Cambrian News that he thought his request for names was fair.

He said: "I honestly don’t know why he left. A council cannot have secret groups, we have a right to know.”

He added: “The council should focus on more important things. We already have a strong brand.”

Cllr Stevens referred to the rebranding of the town as a ‘vanity project’.

The Cambrian News reported last week how the council had written to community groups asking them for their views on what Tywyn means to them and how they visualise the town.

They have asked for ideas for a logo for the town and an answer to the question, ‘if Tywyn was a celebrity, who would it be?’ in no more than 200 words, to be sent in by the end of January.