A COUNCILLOR has been dropped as mayoral candidate only days before her expected installation.

Invitations to next Friday's mayoral inauguration at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council have been sent out and three charities have been told they have been adopted by Councillor Ann Higgins as the mayor's charities.

The independent Eston councillor, who has been deputy mayor for the past year, said last night she was devastated by an 11th hour decision to drop her.

Conservative Peter Spencer will be nominated to wear the chains of office at next Thursday's annual meeting of the council. The turnabout follows a dispute among the independent group on the coalition-run council.

Coun Eric Empson, chairman of the council's cabinet, said he believed Coun Higgins was leader of the independent group and therefore should not be mayor.

Coun Higgins maintains that the new leader is Loftus Independent Mary Lanigan.

She believes her objection to council plans to build a district shopping centre on the trunk road, near Eston, is the reason she has been dropped.

Coun Higgins said last night: "I feel absolutely gutted, not just for me but for all the people and the three charities that have been let down; all the plans I had put into place and all the promises I have made to people."

Coun Empson said his information was that Coun Higgins was leader of the smaller independent group.

He said: "The coalition felt that a leader of a group could not have the position of mayor because the mayor conducts a debate of the whole council and her impartiality would be called into question.

"It may be felt she might give more talking time to one in line with her views.''

He said Coun Higgins and her Eston colleagues had tunnel vision.

"They only see Eston - the reason people there voted for them - but they must remember they are there to represent the whole of the borough.