Dover Mayor Cllr Ronnie Philpott has been told she is no longer welcome to attend a Dover Harbour Board seminar this week after the town council opted to join the board of the Dover People's Port Trust.

Harbour Board chief executive Bob Goldfield has questioned the council's independence in the debate regarding the port's future, and has decided the council can not contribute "in any meaningful way" to the DHB scheme for privatisation.

The seminar, to discuss the setting up of the Dover Port Community Trust, is due to be held on Thursday.

Cllr Philpott said: "I am the elected representative of the people of Dover and my job is to make sure that the views of our townsfolk are listened to by organisations such as the Harbour Board.

"I couldn't believe it when I read Bob Goldfield's e-mail saying that he was withdrawing the invitation to take part."

Cllr Gordon Cowan said: "In the town referendum in May, the town of Dover overwhelmingly said it was opposed to the privatisation of the port and this council has been working hard to ensure that any changes in ownership work to the benefit o0f the town.

"We have said that we will work with whoever controls the port in the future to look after the interests of the town. It is unbelievable that DHB, a publicly-owned body, has chosen to act in this way."

The Mayor said she intents to attend the seminar regardless of the withdrawal of the invitation and hopes the Harbour Board will re-consider its eclusion of "the People's representatives".