A LONG-SERVING Labour councillor in Rossendale who was due to become deputy mayor this week has been given a kick in the teeth after the Tories voted to elect another councillor to the post.

Michael McShea, a Stacksteads ward councillor of 13 years, was due to take over the deputy mayor's reigns from June Foreshaw on Friday at the Mayor Making ceremony.

He received a letter from Rossendale Council in March inviting him to accept the nominations.

But after the Conservative landslide victory at this month's local elections, the Tories voted to elect Eden councillor Geoff Cheetham as the deputy mayor at their group meeting.

Michael McShea said he was "upset" and "utterly disappointed" at the move.

He added: "I had a letter from the council in March inviting me to accept the nominations, which made it public and everybody knew about it.

"The Tories haven't even had the courtesy to let me know. I had to find out off somebody else.

"I feel like I have had something taken away which I was really looking forward to.

"We will have problems if this is the type of council we can expect to be dealing with.

"The lack of principals and integrity of the Tories has left me feeling really upset.

"It's a great honour and I am not sure I'll get the opportunity again because you have to have at least two years left in your term of office.

"I really don't understand the reasons behind the decision."

Christine Lamb, a fellow Stacksteads councillor, said: "Nobody deserved a mayoral role more than Michael.

"He works tirelessly for the community and has his finger in every pie going.

"It's very sad that the Tories have decided to do this."

Peter Steen, Rossendale's Conservative leader, said he would ask for a review of the way the mayors are elected in future.

He added: "We had a group meeting last Monday and we decided that because there had already been 12 Labour mayors until 2002, a Conservative mayor would help shift the balance.

"There are no great political reasons for doing it."