The Mayor of Harrogate, whose year in office ended on Friday, has announced he has quit the Liberal Democrats and will sit on the borough council as an Independent.

But Councillor Alan Skidmore, who represents Ripon Spa, has made it clear to Conservatives that he will support them if they put forward what he called "sensible policies".

News of Coun Skidmore's defection came shortly before he handed over the chains of office to an incoming Conservative Mayor, Coun Ian Galloway, (Bishop Monkton, Ripon), who will have a casting vote.

Gains in the recent council elections ended 13 years of Lib Dem control in Harrogate, putting Conservatives on 27 seats. Lib Dems now have 24 and Independents three.

Coun Skidmore, 63, whose vote could prove pivotal in the coming municipal year, said he would explain to his electors why he had switched.

"Based on what they tell me, I either stand down completely at elections next May or I stand as a Conservative," said the retired Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Engineers.

He said he had quit the Lib Dems because the "last straw" had been their stance on the war in Iraq, but he was also concerned that the interests of Harrogate had been put ahead of the rest of the district.

He said while Harrogate and Knaresborough had 80,000 people, it must be remembered that 100,000 lived outside and they often felt they were "getting crumbs from under the table".