A FORMER Malvern town councillor who resigned in protest over a tax rise says that the public should have had the chance to elect his successor.

Mike Charles quit his seat in the Dyson Perrins ward in January, and said that he and fellow residents sent in enough requests to trigger a by-election to fill the vacancy.

But Malvern Hills District Council, which supervises town and parish council elections, is adamant that it did not get enough requests, and says the seat will be now be filled by co-option.

Mr Charles said that he and his wife, had made requests, and he had been assured that ten others had also been sent in.

He said: "I am told by the returns officer that he has only received four letters. This I find unbelievable. It certainly seems peculiar to say the least that all these letters could be lost."

Andy Baldwin, the district council's deputy chief executive, said: “For an election to be held, we required a request to be made by ten people who were on the electoral register at the time of the request and in the electoral area in which the vacancy had occurred. The deadline for requests to be received by us was February 7. By that date, we had received four letters totalling eight signatures.

“However, four of these signatures were invalid as the persons were either not on the electoral register or were not resident in the Dyson Perrins district ward. We informed Malvern Town Council that, as we had not received the required request for an election by February 7, they must co-opt someone. A further two letters were received by the returning officer after the deadline, on February 10 and February.

“In all matters relating to elections and electoral registration, it is the responsibility of the person submitting documentation to ensure it is received by the required date.”

Anyone interested in becoming a councillor for the ward should contact town clerk Linda Blake on lblake@malvern-tc.org.uk

Applicants will be asked to attend a council meeting on Thursday, March 9, and to make a short presentation outlining why they should be selected for office.