Priest Joins Video Call While Driving to Funeral – Wales Online
A councillor and priest, Father Malcolm Lane, accidentally joined a council meeting online while driving to officiate at a funeral. Father Lane, who is also a Conservative county councillor in Monmouthshire, was asked to pull over after he spoke via video link in a council meeting.
During the council committee meeting, when asked to introduce himself, Father Lane confirmed he was driving. The chairman, Labour councillor Armand Watts, was uncertain of the next steps and, after consulting with the committee clerk, advised Father Lane to pull over.
Father Lane clarified that his intention had been only to listen to the discussion while driving. However, he “accidentally” left the camera on his phone switched on, making him visible on screen when the meeting streamed online at 10 am.
He explained that he had attended the pre-meeting from home and planned to listen to the public session on dental services as he drove to the funeral at Langston Vale Crematorium. Father Lane ensured that his use of the phone was hands-free, connected to the car audio system, and stressed that his vision of the road was not impeded.
Father Lane, representing Mardy in Abergavenny, expressed his honest mistake in leaving the camera on and promptly addressed the situation by pulling over when safe. He emphasised that at no point did he take his eyes off the road while driving.