A COUNCIL where no party has an overall majority got off to a stormy start to its new year in office.

Liberal Democrats on Wear Valley District Council broke with convention by challenging Labour nominations for key posts.

They hit out at Independents, who hold the power with six seats, for not voting at yesterday's annual meeting.

With 18 of his party's councillors present, Labour's Eddie Murphy was re-elected council chairman, beating Lib Dem nominee Betty Todd by four votes.

Rose Seabury, Labour, beat Alan Anderson by the same margin for the deputy chairman's post.

The Lib Dems demanded a named vote for the council leader's job, but backed down from challenges when it too went against them.

Labour nominated two Independents as committee chairmen. Ron Grogan, from Tow Law, took development control with internal scrutiny going to Independent leader Vere Shuttleworth, from Wolsingham.

Lib Dem leader John Ferguson said: "We feel let down by the Independents. I'm sure people who voted Independent will feel bitter.

"We would have liked to see all three groups working together."

Councillor Shuttleworth said: "We intend to be totally independent and are not prepared to align ourselves to any political party. We are demonstrating that by abstaining from voting.

"We are concerned that we would seem to be mischievous and ganging up with one group to cause problems.

Another Independent, John Shuttleworth, revealed the Lib Dems approached him on the day of the count, May 4, asking him to back them against Labour.

Councillor Ferguson said: "We are not going to vote against everything on principle. We will support anything that is good for the electorate of Wear Valley."