A charity that represents disabled residents across Bucks has called out the leader of the council for apparently blocking them on Twitter.

A sarcastic tweet from the Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS) hailed a "triumph for local democracy and accountability" as the charity shared a screenshot which appears to show that council leader Martin Tett has blocked them.

For those not familiar with the social media platform, BuDS being blocked means they cannot contact Cllr Tett through his Twitter page @MATatBucks, see his tweets or follow him.

They can still contact him via other methods away from Twitter.

The mystifying move has been met with criticism from fellow Twitter users, with one saying it was a "new low" for the councillor.

BuDS said: "In a triumph for local democracy and accountability, the leader of Buckinghamshire Council tries to block independent local disability charity from reading his tweets just before Lockdown2.

"Obviously we can still do so but really?"

When asked why this may have happened, BuDS responded: "We don't know. We haven't been abusive or nasty, although we have questioned some of the things @MATatBucks has said.

"It seems wholly disproportionate and a bit anti-democratic to block us."

Another Twitter user, Alan Benson, said: "What does he think you did? I've never found you to be inappropriate. Challenging, yes, but not inappropriate."

BuDS responded: "We do challenge on behalf of disabled people in Bucks, but we do so constructively and politely, and of course we work collaboratively with Bucks Council on a wide range of projects.

"We don't understand this at all. Certainly it won't stop us following his tweets."

The move has been criticised by other users of the social media platform, with one saying it was "appalling behaviour by the leader of our unitary authority" and another adding that it was "truly a new low from Martin".

The Bucks Free Press asked Cllr Tett if he had anything to say about the claims but he did not respond.

A Buckinghamshire Council spokesman said: “Martin Tett’s Twitter account is a personal one and not a council account. This is made clear in his profile. It is his decision as to whom he allows access to his tweets. The council therefore cannot comment on this matter."

BuDS is an independent, non-political charity that represents nearly 41,000 disabled people living in Buckinghamshire, speaking out on various issues that affect the community.

Recently, BuDS warned Cllr Tett that heading to the gym during a pandemic was "setting a poor example" for residents.

They have also spoken out on key issues in the past - like the closure of Seeleys House in Beaconsfield, cuts to school transport and the unitary council bids back in 2018.