OTLEY'S new mayor battled his way into office this week - after eating a large slice of humble pie.

Councillor Nigel Francis, who was heavily criticised for being on holiday in Holland instead of attending his own mayor-making ceremony, survived a vote of no confidence by eight votes to five half an hour after he formally accepted office.

Coun Francis said he was not trying to 'run away and hide' from what he had done, but had promised to show his son the windmills in Holland for his fourth birthday.

He added that he was not sure that he was to regain his seat on the town council at the May elections and be automatically propelled into office as mayor.

"I can only say with a very sincere heart that I am truly sorry for any inconvenience and upset I have caused to the town, the town council, to the previous mayor and the town clerk," he said.

But he was criticised by both Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors who accused him of embarrassing his fellow councillors and showing great disrespect to the town.

Labour group leader Coun John Eveleigh argued that Coun Francis had turned the mayor making on May 12 into a shambles.

At Monday's special council meeting, held immediately after the re-arranged mayor making ceremony, Coun Eveleigh stressed he had nothing personal against Coun Francis but had called for a vote of no confidence because of the reaction of people in the town.

"We believe there was disrespect shown to the town. Okay, Nigel has made some apology, but we feel he should have made the apology much sooner.

"We believe this town has been treated in a shabby way. However much he has apologised, it is too little, too late."

Coun Eveleigh added that even as deputy mayor, as he was last year, Coun Francis should have made every effort to attend the ceremony.

"I think Nigel has made the town council a laughing stock," he said.

Liberal democrat councillors said that although they agreed Coun Francis had caused the council embarrassment, it was up to the electorate and not his fellow councillors to decide whether he should be mayor. Coun Jim Spencer said Coun Francis had caused his group on the council great embarrassment and also his brother, Gerard Francis, who as last year's mayor was called upon to stand in for an extra two weeks.

"Coun Colin Campbell was put in the embarrassing position of having to apologise for Coun Francis when he didn't actually know where he was and Coun Gerard Francis was clearly embarrassed by the whole situation.

"He did show a disrespect for the parish meeting and the mayor making ceremony."

But he added: "It is not for the council to have confidence or not in a fellow councillor, it is for the electorate.

"Despite what I believe was a misdemeanour, I have no doubt in Coun Francis's ability to be a first class mayor."

New councillor Kevin Cooney pointed out that there was enough apathy shown by the public towards local government and that town councillors should behave in a way that generated respect.

"It was not a good idea to leave someone else carrying the can, it really must have been embarrassing," he said.

Coun Francis, who said he would be looking at making the town litter free during his year in office as well as other projects, invited all those councillors who had never missed a council meeting to support the vote of no confidence.

"If there are any councillors who have not missed a council meeting because of other commitments let them vote against me if they so wish."

After the vote, which included one abstention, Coun Eveleigh said the matter was now finished and his group would now support the mayor in his projects in the coming year.