MINEHEAD'S 'logo-gate' saga has taken another twist this week with extraordinary meetings and leaked emails all coming into play.

The coastal town has been embroiled in a battle over two rival brand logos - a 'Minehead Bay' design being backed by the Minehead Coastal Community Team (CCT) and a design from Minehead Community Group with the tagline 'Simply Moor To Sea'.

After much media coverage, and an online poll finding overwhelmingly in favour of the 'Simply Moor To Sea' logo, the CCT held a special meeting this week to discuss the matter, but has once again said it is sticking by its guns with the Minehead Bay design.

“The CCT really does have the future of Minehead and its success very much at its heart,” said Cllr Roger Thomas, who chairs the Team. “We had a positive meeting to reflect on our new branding and to look at our approach as we move forward.

“We recognise that we need to do more to bring people with us, to involve them and to keep them well informed through improving the way we communicate, especially through the power of social media.”

The CCT say the term 'Minehead Bay' will be a brand for marketing purposes – "it’s not about renaming the town".

"The proposals are to use the term in a similar way to Torbay. That area has successfully used the brand ‘English Riviera’ for many years to describe all that there is to see and do in the wider area," a CCT spokesman said.

"It means businesses over a wider area than just Minehead can also get involved and feel part of the area’s promotion. It will be a significant change in how the area promotes itself."

The CCT says the strapline ‘Discover hidden treasure’ is a call to action, inviting the visitor to find out more about both the town and its surroundings.

A statement released by Minehead CCT this week states: "The branding is being adopted following consultation and market research.

"The plans had been widely publicised and more than 120 people attended consultation sessions with the consultants who wanted to speak to people first-hand, and explain what the brand hoped to achieve.

"It could potentially reach people from across the UK and beyond to see Minehead and the wider area as great place to visit. The consultants had been selected following a rigorous procurement process, and being able to demonstrate experience of previous successful tourism branding campaigns.

"When the CCT met on Monday it recognised that there seemed to be some confusion on what the branding exercise was setting out to achieve. Members recognised the community was not as well informed as to the context and background to this exercise as it could have been."

However the Mayor of Minehead Jean Parbrook, has bore the brunt of ire on social media after a private email was leaked in which she described the rival logo as 'amateurish' and 'parochial'.

In the email Cllr Parbrook says: "Although the Facebook campaign looks alarming, I think that it is worth waiting until after the two by elections on Thursday (February 22).

"Sometimes these issues are deliberately targeted for political reasons.

"Personally, I love our new brand & think the alternative is amateurish and parochial. I don't think I will be alone in holding that opinion - so I think we should keep our nerve."

A number of people have expressed their outrage and frustration at Cllr Parbrook's comments in the leaked email.

One Minehead resident, Shonie Millward, has written an open letter to the mayor saying Cllr Parbrook and the CCT are wrong to try and 'save face' and 'brush their mistake under the carpet'.

Cllr Parbrook said on Wednesday: "I am proud to have been a part of team which successfully secured £500,000 for the Enterprising Esplanades project. However that money comes with conditions.

"Part of this funding can be used improve employment and attract tourists to the town and I am proud to be a part of it."