DEPUTY town clerk Sue Webb returned to work at Malmesbury Town Council on Monday after taking more than a month sick leave due to work related stress but town clerk Edward Ferguson is still off sick.

Mrs Webb walked from the council at the end of January, just two weeks after Mr Ferguson took extended sick leave because of exhaustion in the middle of January.

Both Mrs Webb and Mr Ferguson complained to the Standards Board of England about discrimination, harassment and interrogation from Malmesbury Mayor Charles Vernon.

But the board confirmed last week it would not be investigating Coun Vernon's conduct because the complaints were not significant enough to spend public money on them.

Mrs Webb, who has been deputy clerk for 16 years, has decided to return to the town hall after resolving her differences.

She said: "I am glad to be back, hopefully we have buried the hatchet and closed the door on the episode.

"We are all now working together for the good and benefit if the town."

Coun Vernon said he did not know what the complaints were but hoped the Standards Board's decision not to investigate him was the end of the matter.

He said: "She is back. I am not sure there is anything more to be said. We will carry on as usual as we always have done."

The town council has been run by three part-time staff and visitor information manager Sandra Pell in the absence of the clerk and his deputy.

Mr Ferguson, who has been clerk for 18 years, has an appointment with his doctor today. It is still unknown whether he will return to work before July, when he is due to retire.

The council's torrid past 12 months continued this week with a scathing attack by Coun Martin Snell on the lack of support for the recent mayoral elections.

Deputy mayor Patrick Goldstone has been elected to take over from Coun Vernon in May, with town councillor Jack Martin becoming deputy.

But only seven councillors, less than 50 per cent of the 16 members of the council, voted for Coun Goldstone, and five did not vote at all, said Coun Snell.

"Of all the mayoral elections we have had I think that has to be the lowest poll figure in history. I am disgusted. The situation has got to change," he said.

Coun Goldstone, who is also a district councillor, said it was up to individuals how they voted. He said: "I am thrilled and very proud to be voted mayor, it is a great honour.

"I got 40 per cent of the vote for my district seat but that doesn't stop me from representing the 60 per cent who didn't vote for me."

Coun Vernon said the committee, set up by the council to investigate its transparency and public accountability, would review how mayoral elections were conducted.

The same committee, headed by Coun Judy Jones, will also investigate why a £4,000 payout out was made by the council to former part-time employee Dick Jowitt in an out-of-court settlement, before it went to an employment tribunal last year.

The council's handling of the Citizen's Advice Bureau's complaints after the front doors of the town hall were closed, causing access problems, will also be looked at by the committee.

The introduction of a Sunday market and its closure after just two months last November also caused controversy.