A row broke out at Tuesday night's meeting of Tenby Town Council over the forthcoming election of a new Mayor for the town.

However, after the dust had settled, it was agreed that current Mayoress, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, should take office for a third time in June - subject to her retaining her seat at the local council elections being held earlier that month!

But her passage to the position of Mayor-elect was not an altogether smooth one.

When Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas, asked each of her colleagues if they wished to don the scarlet robes of office for 2004/05, only Clr. Mrs. Lane expressed a desire to do so.

She was supported by Clr. Mrs. Kerri Durham, who remarked: "Sue did an excellent job last time when she was Mayor and I'm sure she will do so again this term; she has my full backing."

Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter seconded the proposal.

However, although the majority were in favour, there were some dissenters.

One of those was Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown, who said she would be voting against the proposal, citing Clr. Mrs. Lane's poor attendance at meetings as the main reason.

"With a view to Clr. Lane's poor attendance at town council meetings, having only been present at nine out of the last 31 meetings, I will not be voting in favour of the proposal to elect her as Mayor," she stated.

It had been the feeling of some councillors that the decision to choose a Mayor-elect should not have been on the agenda on Tuesday at all. Instead, it was suggested that the matter should be delayed because of it being an election year, and a notice of motion to this effect was submitted.

However, Clr. Mrs. Lane responded: "I was not present when the decision was made to put the Mayor-elect on the March 2 agenda, but had always intended to stand for Mayor when the time came.

"I've always been honest and shown great integrity and passion for the town of Tenby and I will not let the people down. I believe whoever sits in the chair as Mayor should receive the whole support of the council and send out the message that we all serve as one."

With the town council elections being held on June 10, the Mayor-making ceremony has been confirmed for Friday, June 25, with a contingency option for an urgent meeting to be called on June 14, to nominate a Mayor should the need arise.

Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Thomas, offered her backing to her successor.

"I think we should all look to move on by working together and fully supporting the new choice of Mayor," she said.

Born at Tenby Cottage Hospital in 1951, Clr. Mrs. Lane, of South Cliffe Gardens, was first elected to the town council in 1987. She has served as Mayor on two previous occasions (1998 and 1999), and it will be the eighth year in succession that the position of Tenby's First Citizen will have been taken by one of the town's female councillors.

Over the years, Clr. Mrs. Lane has been actively involved in raising money for a number of charities in the town.

A mother of three, she is the Tenby and District Poppy Appeal organiser and chairman of Tenby in Bloom.