Mayor's Rolls Royce reaches the End of the Road

Plans to dispose of the Mayoral Rolls Royce were thwarted when its head gasket "malfunctioned" just prior to the sale. Instead of realising £11,000, the vehicle was sold off for £5,000.

In February, after years of campaigning by the Liberal Democrats for a less costly mode of transport, the Mayoral Rolls succumbed to a package of cuts agreed by the borough council.

Enterprise car rentals have been supplying a vehicle for the current Mayor, but he has also decided to drive himself to some functions. Lib Dem councillors suggested back in February that the council should consider leasing a Toyota Prius for the Mayor : a "green" vehicle in the nil tax band which would also have tied in with the council's stated key priority to address climate change issues. Council officers have agreed that whichever vehicle is leased it must be environmentally friendly.