CIVIC business is expected to be put on hold as a town's councillors gather to pay tribute to a former mayor.

The next meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council was to take place at 2pm tomorrow.

However, the funeral of former mayor Frank Rogers, who died at the weekend aged 78, will take place at the same time.

Most councillors are expected to attend the funeral to pay their respects, and the minimum number required to enable the meeting to go ahead is unlikely to be reached, town hall officials said.

Chief solicitor Tony Brown said: "As the meeting has already been convened by statutory notice, we cannot just cancel it and arrange a new time.

"Therefore, I will be present in the council chamber at 2pm and if insufficient councillors are present, I will use the power delegated to me by the chairman of the council to adjourn and then reconvene the meeting at 7pm. I cannot guarantee this will definitely happen - it all depends upon the number of councillors present."