Mystery surrounds resignation of Mirfield allotments society's entire committee

The resignations were announced in a letter to members and come in the wake of the controversial "eviction" of a well-known community activist.

Nicki Dixon, 56, has told how she was left “quaking” when she was turfed off her plot on the Lowlands allotments site off Hopton New Road last month.

Nicki had her membership of Mirfield Allotments and Gardens Society terminated earlier this year and claimed she had been subject to a “personal vendetta” which started when she supported a female allotment holder facing eviction in 2018.

The row apparently escalated when Nicki, a former society chairman, raised criticisms of the committee.

Eventually her membership was terminated and last month five men and two women turned up to take possession of the plot she’d had for five years.

They left a sign which read: “This plot has been re-entered. Mirfield Allotments and Gardens Society is now in possession of this plot. Any person who enters this plot will be treated as a trespasser.”

Nicki, who is also an active member of Mirfield in Bloom and volunteers with Mirfield Show, had said the committee had no right to evict her as she was up-to-date with her rent and kept the plot tidy.

The Reporter understands the committee had agreed to go to mediation but then came the en masse resignations.

A letter sent to members on the three sites run by the society – Lowlands, The Nab and Bankfield - said that all the committee had decided to step down for “personal reasons”.

The letter added: “You as a society member now need to appoint a new committee to resolve the challenges of the society or dissolve the society.”

It is understood a general meeting of the society has been called for November 10, which will be chaired by a former society chairman, Alan Wilkinson.

Mirfield Allotments and Gardens Society started on the Lowlands site and dates back to 1915.

Mr Wilkinson did not respond to a request for a comment.