A ROW erupted after a Lib Dem councillor told another member to ‘shut up’ during a finance meeting of Winsford Town Council.

The finance committee were discussing a £1,430 grant awarded to Makerspace LTD, the company behind The Rock Salt Gallery in Winsford Cross Shopping Centre.

The money was granted to pay for a 3D printer.

Cllr Malcolm Gaskill, Lib Dem councillor for Swanlow ward, called for a safeguard to be put in place for the council to retain the equipment if the business ceased trading.

“This stuff doesn’t just disappear into the ether,” Cllr Gaskill said. “Over the years there have been cameras, printing equipment.

“There’s been all sorts of quite expensive equipment and it really isn’t good enough because we never see this stuff again and these people don’t exist anymore.”

However Cllr Mike Kennedy, Labour councillor for the Dene ward said the council sub-committee had ‘never ever’ suggested the grant was a loan agreement.

Tensions came to a head when Cllr Don Beckett, Labour councillor for the Verdin ward, called for Cllr Gaskill’s to withdraw his remarks.

Cllr Gaskill said: “Cllr Beckett I am entitled in this council to make my views knows, and I’m not withdrawing any remark just because you want me too.

“I’m not a member of the Labour Party. You can’t boss me about so just shut up for a minute.”

After being warned of his conduct by Cllr Tony Hooton, chairman of the finance committee, Cllr Gaskill said the council had to ‘careful’ as the funds was public money.

“We all know that Mr Gaskill, we all know that,” Cllr Hooton said.

The Lib Dem councillor replied: “It’s Cllr Gaskill to you.”

Cllr Gaskill's remarks were reminiscent of the English rapper Stormzy's hit song, Shut Up.

Stormzy won Best Grime Act at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards and was named as an artist to look out for in the BBC's influential Sound of 2015 list.

Following a Christmas number one campaign, Shut Up rose to number eight in the UK charts over Christmas.

Stormzy also performed the song during the ring-walk to Anthony Joshua’s British Heavyweight boxing match with Dillian Whyte in January.

Watch the official video for Shut Up below.