Row over mayor's ar******s blast

A dispute has broken out after the mayor of a London borough launched a foul-mouthed tirade at elderly campaigners.

The Haringey councillor, previously in trouble for telling protesters to 'f*** off ', is said to have referred to residents as "arseholes" while they demonstrated against the closure of care homes.

Labour's Sheila Peacock was heard shouting at Wood Green civic centre while pensioners and their families were outsideprotesting over plans to close two homes.

Campaigner Mary Francis, whose 71-yearold mother Marie lives at one of the homes, heard her when she went into the centre with her sixyearold son.

The 34-year-old said: "She was speaking to a staff member and just launched into this tirade. I was about 20 feet away but she was shouting so loud I could hear every word. She said not to let any protesters in and said, 'If they cause any disturbance, call the police - arseholes!' It was clear who it was directed at."

Ms Peacock does not deny using "unpleasant language" but insists she was not referring to the 40 pensioners, some in wheelchairs, but "to an entirely different protest".

But Ms Francis "should not have been earwigging", she said.