FORMER Swindon mayor Stan Pajak has been pipped at the post for the title of the country's best municipal leader.

Coun Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) was nominated after a term which included fundraising stunts like running around London wearing a bra, having his hair dyed red for Comic Relief, dressing up as an ugly sister in pantomime and forging twinning links with a Polish town.

He also set up the town's Citizen's Award and slept rough at Christmas to promote the work of the Threshold Housing Link.

In all, he attended more than 500 official engagements between 2002 and 2003.

Coun Pajak beat more than 100 other mayors to make the shortlist of 10 in the competition run by the Cooperative Bank.

But despite his game-for-a laugh attitude, Coun Pajak was beaten by Portsmouth mayor Elaine Baker, who won £1,000 to donate to a charity of her choice.

Coun Pajak said: "I enjoyed being mayor more than anything I have ever done, and just to get on the shortlist was pretty unbelievable.

"It would have been nice to have won it for Swindon, but Swindon just never seems to win anything!"

Swindon Council' chief executive Simon Birch paid tribute to him.

He said: "It is a credit to Stan's character and his hard work that he did so well in this competition."