HYNDBURN'S system of selecting a mayor is set to be overhauled to avoid election night heartache.

At last week's local polls, Labour mayor-elect Coun Wendy Dwyer lost the chance to be the borough's first citizen when she lost her seat in Accrington's Barnfield ward.

The same thing happened last year to Tory mayor-elect Derek Scholes, and in 1996 when deputy mayor Coun Doug Hayes and his wife Coun Sandra Hayes both lost their seats.

But today Labour leader Coun Ian Ormerod said any change in the system would still be beset by problems and Mr Scholes spoke out against the plan and said the system should stay as it was.

The mayoralty is currently given to the longest-serving councillor who wants to do the job.

They spend a year as deputy mayor before taking office.

Now the Conservatives, who took control of the council are to examine ways to avoid the same thing happening again, leaving the borough with no mayor.

"We are currently looking at the situation," said Tory council leader Peter Britcliffe.

"It was the night of the two mayors last Thursday, where we lost mayor-elect Wendy Dwyer, and Derek Scholes, last year's mayor-elect didn't return.

"The way deputy mayors seem to have suffered in the last few years,

"I'm wondering if we need to look at the way we elect our deputy mayor. In some boroughs, the mayor serves the year after as deputy mayor.

"It might be we need to take the heartache out of this situation."

The longest serving members of the council are currently Coun Britcliffe and his deputy Coun Jim Dickinson.

Members of the borough's Conservative Party will meet tonight to decide who will step into the breach for Coun Dwyer.

Coun Britcliffe added: "We have always said there shouldn't be a political element to the mayoral selection.

"It should be the longest serving person who wishes to do it. "It's something we have advocated as a group for 10 years and the aim is to non-politicise the mayoralty."

Mr Scholes said: "You just take pot luck if you get beaten.

"It should be somebody who is not standing for re-election but it doesn't work like that.

"Last year the whole council was up for election so whoever it was could have lost it.

"They should go back to the old system where the person who is selected doesn't have to stand."

Labour leader Ian Ormerod said: "It doesn't solve anything because if you are up for elections, you can still lose your seat.

They will still have to choose the mayor before the election in order for them to make provision for the year ahead.

"There are other boroughs where the mayor becomes deputy the year after he has served and it brings its own problems.

"The first thing you want to do when you have been mayor is put your feet up."

Fellow Tory Coun Sandra Hayes, said: "I think it will be better. At least they are not doing 12 months as deputy and losing it.

"This way they won't have done anything and had the insight into the mayoralty.

"What hit us most was not being re-elected as councillors because we had worked so hard.

"Being mayor is an honour but it's the icing on the cake.

"At the end of the day you are a servant of the people and their mouthpiece."