A DEPUTY mayor has expressed his disgust at a decision which may rob him of the chance to be mayor next year.

Coun Derek Scholes was informed he had been de-selected by the Tory party as a contender for Baxenden ward in next April's elections.

Baxenden is set to lose one of its three seats under a boundary shake-up next year.

Coun Scholes said: "I am disgusted. This is a disgrace and shows that people don't have much respect for the mayoralty.

"We had a meeting but neither Jim Dickinson nor John Griffiths would stand down so it was put to the vote and it was very close.

"It is a great honour to be mayor and I should be able to stand in my own ward. So to have something like this thrown at me is disgusting."

All Hyndburn councillors are up for re-election next April after a major reshuffle which will reduce the number of ward councillors from 47 to 35.

The Government Commission reviews electoral boundaries every 20 years to accommodate new houses and the demolition of older properties and, after the last review in 1999, it was decided to cut down and have two-member wards.

Although Coun Scholes knew that there would be major changes to the borough's boundaries when he took on the role of deputy mayor this year, he said he had not been worried.

He added: "When I became councillor for Baxenden in 1994 they couldn't find anyone to stand and I was the only conservative representative to be elected for two years.

"I have been in that ward for eight years now and should be able to stay there and be mayor."

If the decision remains, he will stand for election in the Barnfield ward of Accrington but if he is not elected, another councillor will take on the role of mayor.