A ROW has erupted over the appointment of a town's deputy mayor.

Members of all parties represented on coalition-run Hartlepool Borough Council gathered at the Civic Centre on Tuesday for the annual mayor-making ceremony.

There were no objections when Conservative councillor Douglas Ferriday, a veteran of almost 30 years, was elected as mayor.

However, a dispute ensued following the election of Liberal Democrat councillor Robert Flintoff as his deputy.

Russell Hart, leader of the Labour group, which led the council for several years, said: "We made a fundamental decision last year that the councillors with the longest service, regardless of their parties, should be mayor and deputy mayor.

"The opposition groups thought exactly the same, but this year they have changed their tack completely. The deputy mayor has less service than quite a number of other councillors. They are making the mayorality into a political football."

While the Labour group did not put forward its own candidate for mayor, they nominated Councillor Carl Richardson for deputy mayor, and he was beaten by one vote.

Coun Hart said the Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition which leads the council had shown hypocrisy by abandoning their former views. "They have just turned tail on their views and they are not prepared to be reasonable," he said.

Liberal Democrat councillor Arthur Preece, leader of Hartlepool council, defended the move last night.

"If you take borough council service alone and disregard county council service, Bob Flintoff is senior to Carl Richardson," he said.

"What's really at stake is the control of the council, and we were not going to vote ourselves into a minority."