A woman who tried to film a public council meeting was asked to stop by committee chairman Brian Coleman.

Councillor Coleman, who is under investigation by the council after two alleged misdemeanours were caught on camera earlier this year, made the demands in his first meeting as chairman of the budget committee at Hendon Town Hall on Tuesday.

The Tory politician ordered the member of the public be removed from the room, despite the council’s own rules allowing discreet filming to take place.

Totteridge representative Mr Coleman found himself in hot water in April when he was filmed appearing to call one member of the public a “tw*t” during a packed cabinet resources committee meeting.

At that time he was already under investigation for allegedly misusing his members’ parking permit for non-council business when he was filmed parking and appearing to join a canvassing tour with London mayoral candidate Boris Johnson.

Theresa Musgrove blogs regularly about Barnet Council and is a friend of the woman who was kicked out of Tuesday’s meeting.

She regularly films meetings herself and was surprised to hear about the manner in which Councillor Coleman dealt with the issue.

She said: “We have never had any problems. He can’t stop people filming, he’s just being a bully. He doesn’t like being filmed or scrutinised.

“It is undemocratic and breaches the council’s own rules. Other local authorities film their meetings themselves. People have the right to go to council meetings and film their elected representatives. It opens up the democratic process – they should be supporting it.”

Rules allowing the “discreet, unlit, non-disruptive filming and recording” of public meetings were passed after the majority of members voted in favour of the motion at a full council meeting in September.

Labour group leader, Councillor Alison Moore, was at Tuesday’s meeting and barely noticed the woman, who later rejoined the viewing gallery without her camera.

The East Finchley councillor said: “It absolutely was not disruptive. We have all got used to the fact people film the meetings and you just ignore it and carry on.

“I counted four people filming the cabinet meeting on Wednesday without a problem. I think Tuesday’s decision shows an inconsistency – certainly none of the other committee chairmen have a problem with it. I think this instance has more to do with the chairman than with the woman being disruptive.”

Council Leader, Councillor Richard Cornelius, said: “I have asked the Director of Corporate Governance to write to all committee Chairs to remind them of Council’s decision in this matter.”