A Lib Dem councillor has apologised 'unreservedly' after he was caught playing Scrabble during a meeting. Martin Elengorn was snapped playing the game on his iPad by a Tory rival on Richmond Council who circulated the picture among council colleagues. Councillor Elengorn spent ten minutes playing Scrabble at the budget meeting before a party colleague passed him a note warning he had been rumbled. Martin Elengorn was snapped playing the game on his iPad by a Tory rival on Richmond Council who circulated the picture among council colleagues . And the 70-year-old  admitted the furore that followed has put him off the game. He told the MailOnline that he had 'sought solace' in the app during an opening speech by Conservative deputy council leader Geoffrey Samuel. 'Councillor Samuel was giving a speech in a bombastic and aggressive manor and, to be somewhat blunt, I'd run our of budget agendas and I unwisely sought solace in the Scrabble board,' he said. 'I admit it could be seen as (not representing those who voted for him). I do apologise unreservedly if it created the wrong impression. The councillor and keen Scrabble player said the incident had put him off playing the game for the foreseeable future . 'In fact I was listening to every word he said.' Mr Samuel, who was opening the annual budget and council tax meeting, called Mr Elengorn's behaviour 'outrageous'. 'He is paid, not an inconsiderable amount of money, to represent his residents and not play silly games. 'This is typical of his arrogant attitude and the flippant way he takes his public duties. 'If it was me, I would consider stepping down.' Conservative councillor Helen Hill, who took the photograph, said she was 'shocked' when she noticed him playing the game. Councillor Helen Hill (left) was 'shocked' to see Councillor Elengorn (right) playing Scrabble during the budget meeting and took the photograph . 'It was certainly a bit of a surprise,' she said. 'I didn't think it as a great idea to do right in he middle of a council meeting for the budget.' Councillor Hill said she decided to take the photograph as 'a comment on what he was doing when he should have been listening. 'He is just an eccentric individual,' she added. Lib-Dem leader Stephen Knight said: 'I think Martin recognises it was not the wisest thing to be doing in a council meeting. Tory MP Nigel Mills was forced to apologise after he was caught playing games on his iPad during a select committee hearing last December - as the Commons authorities launched a mole hunt for whoever caught him on camera. Photographs published by The Sun showed Nigel Mills enjoying online hit Candy Crush Saga during a Work and Pensions Committee evidence session. The Amber Valley MP, who has been issued with a tablet at the taxpayers' expense, initially told the newspaper he would merely 'try' not to be diverted by the game again. But in a statement  he said: 'I apologise unreservedly for my behaviour at the committee meeting and realise it fell short of what is expected of a Member of Parliament.' 'But I'd like to think people would be more interested in the content of the meeting than whether people were playing Scrabble.' Councillor Elengorn, who was a 'competent' Scrabble player said the whole incident had put him off wanting to play again. 'I have a routine, once a fortnight my brother and I play Scrabble- but he usually wins.' 'But I didn't look at the game again for a few days after this, I was rather put off it for a while.' John O'Connell, director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: 'Councillors receive a hefty allowance to represent the views of their constituents and hold the council to account — neither of which are achieved by playing Scrabble.' A spokesman for Richmond Council said they would not be commenting on the incident. It comes just weeks after Conservative councillor Eric Nicholson came underfire for spending two hours on his mobile phone during a debate at Kendal County Hall in Cumbria. The member for Cockermouth North played solitaire, checked his bank account and caught up with emails while hiding his Blackberry under the table during the meeting where a rise in council tax was being discussed. Mr Nicholson, who was elected in 1997, admitted after the meeting that he had been using his phone but insisted he was still 'concentrating'. Two months earlier, Tory MP Nigel Mills admitted having a ‘game or two’ of Candy Crush on his taxpayer-funded iPad during an important meeting in Parliament. Mr Mills, the MP for Amber Valley in Derbyshire, was supposed to be listening to experts give evidence at a meeting of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee in December. However, he spent much of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting closely studying his iPad and swiping the screen as he tried to complete levels of the popular game.
Martin Elengorn was snapped playing Scrabble at  Richmond Council . Tory rival Helen Hill was 'shocked' when noticed him playing the game . Elengorn has since apologised 'unreservedly' to his local residents . Politican said the incident had put him off playing forforeseeable future .