A councillor has revealed why he bought a one-acre field.

Cllr Mike Baldock, deputy leader of Swale council, was called a "hypocrite" for campaigning against new housing developments when he had three homes of his own in Sittingbourne and a field.

Some suggested he might be planning to build houses on it.

But on his Facebook page he says he and his wife Nadine are turning the meadow in Doddington into a wildlife reserve.

He said: "It is true we have recently acquired a parcel of land and it's quite an exciting project.

"The plans are for a mixed orchard, wildflower and wildlife habitat. In the first year we have planted 12 trees and established 'bug hotels' for different insects.

"We are documenting the different species so we can build a comprehensive register of what is there."

Cllr Baldock, 52, added: "We intend to leave it to the parish council or a wildlife trust as we'll probably never see some of the trees grow to maturity and it will be nice to know they are safe for the future."

The site already has a number of old tree trunks and wooden pallets which Cllr Baldock has turned into 'bug hotels' to encourage more insects.

A national newspaper website quoted an unnamed neighbour accusing him of being a 'hypocrite' because of his planning objections while owning three homes himself and an acre of land worth a total of £1m.

He denied the charge saying all his properties were registered under members' interests and that planning decisions were taken by the whole council.

Many of his followers greeted the news of his wildlife scheme warmly. Alma Driver of Minster, Sheppey , wrote: "How lovely and caring of you."

Cllr Baldock said: "I don't want this to sound like I am showing off. It's just something we have been doing quietly behind the scenes."

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