A MAYOR has hit back at claims that his decision to quit the role four months early has left his town "in the lurch".

Ringwood's first citizen - Cllr Michael Thierry - has vowed to stand down in two weeks' time after launching his bid to become the area's county councillor in this year's local elections.

Cllr Thierry says he wants to study the county council's role in the town ahead of the poll on May 4.

Ringwood currently has no town clerk and his decision to give up the role of mayor has upset fellow members of the council, some of whom are said to have accused him of "abandoning his responsibilities" and "leaving Ringwood in the lurch".

But Cllr Thierry, who was due to remain mayor until May, defended his decision not to serve the whole of his two-year term.

He said: "Becoming a county councillor would be quite a big step up. I've never got involved in the machinations of the county council and thought I needed a little bit of time to familiarise myself with its functions and statutory responsibilities."

Cllr Thierry said it was "utterly ridiculous" to suggest he was leaving Ringwood in the lurch by standing down as mayor on January 25.

"It pre-supposes that Ringwood is a one-man council, which is manifestly incorrect," he said. "The mayor has no power - their role is ceremonial."

His most outspoken critic is the area's current county councillor, Steve Rippon-Swaine, who was beaten by Cllr Thierry when members of the town council's ruling Tory group met to decide who should contest the seat in this year's elections.

Cllr Rippon-Swaine - a former mayor of Ringwood - said his colleague's decision to leave office four months early was one of "utter shock".

He described the role of mayor as an honour bestowed by the people of the town, adding: "You should do the best you can throughout your whole term of office.

"It's not something you just discard because you have extra work which you have brought on yourself.

"The new town clerk will need guidance and that comes from the leader of the council - which is the town mayor."

But Cllr Thierry described some of Cllr Rippon-Swaine's comments as "spiteful" and "not helpful".

He added: "In other places the mayor stands down and it's not an issue. Cllr Rippon-Swaine just likes to keep the pot boiling."