Deal’s mayor elect was defeated by a Labour councillor last night after a no show from the retiring predecessor Cllr Adrian Friend.

The absence of Cllr Friend (Cons) at Deal Town Council's annual meeting resulted in favourite for the job Cllr Wayne Elliott (Cons) receiving only six votes.

Labour's David Cronk received seven making him Deal's mayor for 2016/17. Cllr Marlene Burnham will be his deputy.

Following the resignation of Conservative councillor Emma Carr in April, the former deputy mayor was reliant on Cllr Friend's casting vote.

Cllr Elliott said: “I was shocked not to see Adrian there.

“In my 20 years on Deal Town Council I have never known a mayor not to attend mayor making.”

Cllr Elliott has said he is not bruised by the defeat as he had decided in the past week that he didn’t want to take up the role.

He would instead like to dedicate more time to his wife who is in poor health.

Cllr Friend has claimed he was unable to attend because he was stranded in Calais with mayoress Tracy Carr.

He said: “It was circumstances out of my control. As our last day as mayor and mayoress we had planned to have lunch over in France.

“I had said I must be back or I wouldn’t go. For weeks now its been running smoothly but there was a strike on at the booths and so we missed our 4pm sailing home.”

The Conservatives took control of Deal Town Council for the first time in its history at the May 2015 election, with Cllr Friend being appointed mayor shortly after.

He added: “I was upset because I knew it was an important meeting last night. It was essential that we had a Conservative mayor.

“Cllr Wayne Elliott would have made a very good mayor. I would like to apologise.

“I think what we’ve got to do now is win the seat in Middle Deal and take back the mayoralty next year.

“Irrespective of who’s mayor, the town and its people should always come first.”

Cllr Ben Bano will take over as the chairman of the council’s finance committee and Cllr Colin Hartley will be chairman of the planning committee.

Deal Town and Kent County Councillor, Mike Eddy, said: “After a year in which Deal’s Conservatives failed to turn up to one full council meeting and spent £10,000 on new robes, the town will breathe a huge sigh of relief that Cllr Cronk is the new mayor instead of Conservative Cllr Elliott.

"Under Cllr Cronk’s direction the town council has already re-established the highly respected transport working group and this will be an immense help in getting the best for road users across Deal.”

He added: “During the year of Conservative control, Labour has been a responsible and disciplined opposition acting in the best interests of the people of Deal, and I would pay tribute to the outgoing Conservative mayor, Adrian Friend, who behaved throughout with scrupulous fairness.”

The new mayor Cllr Cronk and deputy Cllr Burnham will set out their plans for the town at a ceremonial event at Deal Town Hall on Friday, May 27.