THE man elected as a monkey has attended his final council meeting.

Stuart Drummond, mayor of Hartlepool for 11 years, was presented with a farewell gift of a season ticket to Hartlepool United at Hartlepool Borough Council’s full council yesterday (Thursday, May 2).

He was elected as H’Angus the Monkey, Hartlepool United’s mascot, in 2002 but was elected twice more as himself.

However, the role of directly elected mayor has now been abolished following a referendum in the town and Mr Drummond is now looking for alternative work.

Tributes were paid to the well-regarded mayor. Christopher Akers-Belcher, leader of the Labour group who will become leader of the council on Monday, praised the “commendable work” of Mr Drummond. Ray Wells, leader of the Conservatives, said Mr Drummond had put his “heart and soul” into the job.

Geoff Lilley, leader of the Putting Hartlepool First group, said: “The story of Stuart Drummond is a phenomenal story and Stuart has done incredibly well. He is a credit to the town. He always played it with a straight bat.”

Cath Hill, an Independent councillor, and the only one to have continuously served in all Mr Drummond’s cabinets, said: “If every elected man and woman here had the honesty and integrity of Stuart Drummond and had given Stuart Drummond the support and backing he deserved through the last 11 years, the town would be a better place.”

Mr Drummond said he was pleased to be going and said he was getting out at the right time with drastic Government cuts continuing. He said: “I don’t envy any of you. You need to show leadership, direction, decisiveness. There are very, very tough decisions to be made.”