Look it up and this is the 'fact' you will find: "St Monans is home to many businesses, of which fish merchants and fish-smokehouses are most abundant as the majority of people are on benefits."
Although the website has been criticised for inac
curacies in the past, many researchers swear by its ability to give the best up-to-date information on a wide range of subjects. However, its contents are provided by volunteers and, in this case, a contributor made an overstatement which did not give the right impression of the village, according to Cllr Mike Scott-Hayward.
He commented: "I certainly would not, as a councillor, say this is an accurate description.
"It's disparaging and will not endear the author to St Monans!"
In actual fact, according to the most recent statistics available, St Monans currently has a population of just under 1400 people.
Of those in 2006, only 13 per cent were on benefits, according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
In total, 183 people were in receipt of income support and, within this group, 170 people were termed "employment deprived".
"I think it's incumbent on people to make certain to check facts and not daydream," said Cllr Scott-Hayward. "Secondly, it proves people reading Wikipedia should have a pinch of salt ready just in case."
