A ROW erupted today after Hyndburn Council's new Conservative regime announced it was keeping both mayoral posts for itself.

The ruling Tories have nominated Great Har- wood councillor Wyn Frankland for mayor to replace Labour's Wendy Dwyer, who lost her seat at last week's local election.

This year's mayor and fellow Tory Coun Sandra Hayes will be her deputy.

The move follows an announcement earlier this week that the Conservatives want to change the system so that mayors serve as deputy following their year in office rather than before.

It is hoped it will prevent the heartache of candidates losing the mayoralty if they lose their seat in an election - a situation that has arisen three times in recent years.

But the outgoing Labour council has called on Conservative leader Coun Peter Britcliffe to honour the arrangement of letting the opposition have the mayoral position like they did last year.

"There will be more than a bit of a row," said Labour deputy leader Coun Jean Battle.

She said there was an agreement that Wendy Dwyer would be mayor and she would be replaced by another Labour councillor if she wasn't elected.

She said Labour let the Conservatives keep the post last year, despite their nomination - Derek Scholes - losing his seat.

Coun Battle also accused the Conservatives of taking all the posts because of their slender majority of one ward after they won Clayton-le-Moors ward in last week's local election.

Coun Britcliffe said: "What we have to remember is we are in a situation where there isn't a deputy mayor in place. The people likely to have been mayor were beaten at the election.

"We had a situation a few years ago where we had a Labour mayor year after year after year. What we are saying is the choosing of a mayor should be above politicking."

Coun Frankland said: "It's a thrill and an honour. I knew I was up on the seniority but with Wendy Dwyer and Derek Scholes getting beaten was a surprise."