A Gwynedd county councillor has come out swinging against a complaint that he was disrespectful to the victims of paedophile Neil Foden by eating his supper on camera during last week’s council meeting that was discussing the criminal matter.

“I am diabetic” the 82-year-old councillor for Llandderfel told Cambrian News. “I have to eat regularly”.

Cambrian News had asked for a comment after it received a complaint that his actions during last Thursday’s council meeting were disrespectful to the victims of former headteacher Neil Foden.

Gwynedd has been put on notice that is being sued by 22 alleged victims of the paedophile who headed up Ysgol Friars in Bangor and was strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantile.

According to a recent extensive investigation into his depraved and criminal behaviour, authorities at the council and elsewhere missed more than 50 opportunities to catch Foden. Last year Foden was jailed for 17 years after being convicted on 19 separate charges.

The fallout from Foden’s criminality has dominated council affairs in recent weeks, and much of last Thursday’s meeting was again dedicated to the scandal.

Cambrian News was contacted over Cllr Edward’s perceived lack of resect and inattention during that meeting.

“Disrespectful? That’s bloody ridiculous,” he told Cambrian News when the complaint was put to him.

“There’s a vendetta against me,” he said. “Some one in the [Plaid Cymru] party or my group [on council] is out to stitch me up,” he said.

“I have my dinner at 12 and my supper at 5 every day,” he said. “Yes I did eat it during the council meeting. I was paying attention all the time.”

Cambrian News pointed out that the recording of the meeting showed he did leave the meeting for a short period about three hours into the meeting. “Yes,” he said. “I did. I went to get my food and it was prepared and on a plate.”

Councillors are asked that if they can’t pay full attention, they should turn their cameras off.

“I was paying full attention,” he said.

“Look, I’ve heard all of this stuff [about Foden] many time before and I’ve listened to the women and what they’ve said and I heard it earlier in the day too,” he said.

Cllr Edwards has been in elected public life in one form or another since 1980 and is well-known in the area as an exorcist for helping people troubled by ghosts, ghouls and all other things that go bump in the night. He acted as electoral agent for MP Liz Saville-Roberts in the 2015 general election.

“Some one in the party is trying to get me,” he told Cambrian News, adding “I think I know who it is.”

“I am diabetic and I have to eat regularly. Me eating [during a council meeting] is not being disrespectful.”

Plaid Cymru Gwynedd chairperson, Cllr Gwynfor Owen told the Cambrian News: “Cllr Elwyn Edwards has the utmost respect and compassion to the sensitive discussions at Cyngor Gwynedd last week. He has apologised if his actions appeared disrespectful. Due to his health issues as a diabetic person, it was important he ate, so he could continue to listen and participate fully at the council meeting.”