Councillor Naysmith was an elected councillor on Weatherfield Borough Council and a rival of colleague Curly Watts. Their paths first crossed in March 2002 when the council made plans to close the local crèche in the Medical Centre used by Sarah Platt and Curly's help was sought in reversing the plans. Standard methods to get the plans reversed were unsuccessful, including a sit-in at the crèche itself, which was badly supported by the parents who used it. Curly raised the matter at the next council meeting, interrupting a discussion about council-provided hanging baskets and received a haughty reply by Naysmith who alluded to the fact that Curly was only interested in the matter because he had just become a parent himself. A vote was called for to keep the crèche open but was defeated. In