FOR a second year running the tradition of all councillors supporting the election of the new mayor of Marlborough was broken on Monday.

Hilary Cripps was left near to tears when three councillors abstained from voting for her before she ceremoniously took up the chain of office.

A week previously Coun Cripps had been one of the members of the town council selection committee who voted against Coun Stewart Dobson and his fiance Coun Marian Hannaford serving on the same committees.

On Monday Coun Hannaford, Coun Dobson and Coun Richard Allen failed to put up their hands to support Coun Cripps' nomination during the mayoral election.

In the opening prayers for the meeting, the Rev Lynn Busfield, who is the mayor's chaplain for the year, had called for unity and for councillors to work together.

Ex-mayor Nick Fogg, proposing a vote of thanks to the outgoing mayor Graham Francis, told his colleagues they faced "losing the confidence of the people of this town because of the bickering".

Former mayor David Chandler said he was "very disappointed" at the councillors' actions. In a letter to the Gazette he said: "It should be the case that the incoming mayor has the unanimous support of the whole town council."