THE woman in charge of a controversial road-widening scheme says she has received a death threat.

Anna Waite, Southend councillor responsible for transport, received a threatening letter from a disgruntled campaigner challenging her to “a duel to the death”.

Protestors have set up Camp Cuckoo, in Priory Crescent, Southend, in an attempt to block plans to put in an extra westbound lane at Cuckoo Corner.

They say the council broke a promise not to widen part of the road, which will result in 16 trees being cut down.

Mrs Waite said she had suffered “personal attacks” from those opposed to the scheme and has passed on the threateneing letter to the police.

She added: “It’s intimidation. I deeply resent the personal attacks. I find it very unpleasant and worrying.”

The issue threatened to boil over at a council meeting last Thursday when more than 30 protesters turned up to heckle councillors, forcing a 45-minute delay to the meeting.

The protesters also unveiled a banner saying “Nigel Holdcroft and Anna Waite out” and one woman threatened to chain herself to the railings of the public gallery.

Mrs Waite said the letter she received had been handed to her 80-year-old father, who runs Tomassi’s restaurant, in the High Street.

She added: “For a small group, to do what they did at the council meeting was appalling.

“The council meeting was part of the democratic process and if they don’t like it, why don’t they stand for election?

“They’ve done it twice, to my knowledge, and lost on both occasions.”

She continued: “This Cuckoo Corner scheme has had full council and full cabinet approval, so it’s not just me.

“But I’m not going to be deterred by it. It makes me more determined than ever, so the silent majority can get what they want for this town.”

Mrs Waite accused the campaigners of launching a “dirty tricks” campaign and also criticised comments about her, left on the Echo website.

Some allege links with a major construction company, which she denies, and others mention her family’s business, Tomassi’s.

Mark Sharp, from protest group Skipp, denied it was a personal attack against her.

He said: “We made comments on the Echo website after the initial story broke, but none refer to her. Since then, we’ve left it alone because we don’t want to get in a slanging match with people.

“The action we took at the council meeting was because we have no voice and no-one listens to us.

“It is not a democratic situation as questions must be put ten days before the meeting. How else do we get ourselves heard?