The age-old tradition of saying Christian prayers before meetings of a Shropshire council should be banned because it excludes atheists and people from other faiths, it was today claimed.

Councillor Pat McCarthy said he did not want Wellington Town Council to become an “exclusive enclave” of people with a particular religious viewpoint. But other members said if he did not like it he knew what to do – resign.

Councillor Roger Aveley said: “He should have thought about these things before he put himself forward for election.

“If he doesn’t like it he shouldn’t come in while the prayers are being said.

“If he doesn’t want to abide by the procedures of the council he shouldn’t be a councillor at all.”

Wellington Town Council mayor Barry Tillotson said: “Just because he is an atheist doesn’t mean the rest of us have to become one.”

But Councillor McCarthy said he was not doing it for himself.

He said: “I’m doing it because there are people out there who, when they learned Wellington Town Council had prayers as a part of full council meetings, would find that exclusive and would probably be put off from even attempting to become a councillor.

“I don’t want Wellington Town Council to be an exclusive enclave of people who hold a particular religious viewpoint.”

Councillor McCarthy said that he is currently expected to attend prayers at the start of full council meetings or stand outside the chamber until they were over and he was not prepared to do that.

The independent councillor for College ward said he wanted to see prayers held in a “pre-meeting” of full cou- ncil separate to the listed business for the evening.

He is awaiting the outcome of a dispute between the National Secular Society and Bideford Town Council in Devon over the same issue before making an official call for prayers to be taken off the agenda at full council.

Wrekin Conservative candidate Mark Pritchard, who in 2007 tabled Britain’s first ever Parliamentary debate on “Christianophobia”, said: “I think this is more evidence of an attempt to marginalise Britain’s Judeo-Christian traditions, culture and heritage.

“Politicians of all political persuasions should realise that the public is attracted to those who believe there is something greater than themselves.”