A CONSERVATIVE councillor of 32 years believes it was 'wrong' for the new deputy mayor to have been elected.

Cllr Sheila Woodyatt, mayor of Warrington in 2000-01, abstained from voting in Cllr Faisal Rashid (LAB – Whittle Hall) to the position at yesterday’s annual meeting due to his length of time as a councillor.

Cllr Rashid was elected to the council in 2011.

"To be the mayor is an honour – it is naturally given for services to the council," said Cllr Woodyatt.

"When I first joined there was an unwritten rule saying you must have given eight years of service – I did 16 years of service before I was given the role.

"I think it is wrong for someone who has done that period of time to have been elected.

"He is a lovely man, it is just a matter of principle."

Cllr Rashid, who received a majority vote, said he does not want to make a 'big thing' of the issue but questioned Cllr Woodyatt’s grounds for abstaining.

"She did e-mail me to tell me that she believes the position should be given to long-standing members," added the 42-year-old.

"But that is not the case anywhere in England.

"She has her own thinking but the eight-year rule is not there anymore.

"Geoff was elected in 2010 and she voted for him last year."

Cllr Woodyatt said she ‘thought she abstained’ from voting at last year's deputy mayor election.