Police are investigating after abusive messages were left on council phones as the Cycle Enfield debate turned nasty.

Deputy Leader of Enfield Council Achilleas Georgiou said he was informed about the four voicemails, which were left by people calling the office of the council leader, Cllr Doug Taylor on Sunday (September 18).

The calls were between 30 seconds and two and a half minutes in length, and were made within fifteen minutes of each other. It is not clear if they were made by different people.

A Met Police statement said: “Police in Enfield are investigating allegations of malicious communications made to Enfield Council.”

They said there have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

Cllr Georgiou said the messages had been picked up by office staff rather than Cllr Taylor, none of whom are involved in the Cycle Enfield project.

He said: “It’s not right. That there would be people who should stoop so low is totally unacceptable.

“We do not have a problem with protestors, that’s the democratic process and we welcome that. We are happy to go to public meetings and we encourage people to question what we do.

“But these messages used every swear word under the sun, they are really uncalled for, no-one should have to listen to that.

“I hope those who do have legitimate concerns will disassociate themselves from anything like this.”

The £42m cycle lanes scheme has had a large amount of opposition, however Save Our Green Lanes (SOGL), which recently took the council to court to try and block the construction of the route through Palmers Green, condemned the abuse.

A spokesperson, who SOGL declined to name, said: “Let me be absolutely clear: that is absolutely not something we would do. Neither would we endorse such acts.”

Construction on the first Cycle Enfield route began last week.