Prayer meeting held after ban from Bridgnorth Town Council meetings
More than 50 people attended a prayer session at a church in Bridgnorth which was organised after the town council imposed a ban at its meetings.
Councillors and ex-councillors, as well as four former mayors of the town, were among those who prayed in the annex next to College House before the town council meeting next door last night.
Last month the town council voted to scrap prayers before meetings because some members said they feared they were putting off the public and discouraging new councillors from coming forward.
But a vicar stepped into the row by organising his own prayers instead.
And the Reverend Prebendary Simon Cawdell said he had been absolutely delighted by the turnout.
"We had 55 people at the prayer meeting, including a number of current and former councillors, and four former mayors," he said.
A vicar used to attend the town council meetings and prayers were said before they commenced.
The council was split straight down the middle on the controversial issue when it was discussed at a meeting last month, with six voting for abolishing prayers and six voting against.
But the motion, put forward by former mayor Edward Marshall, was passed on the casting vote of current mayor Vanessa Voysey, who said she was "willing to be unpopular".
Former Bridgnorth Town Councillor, Ed Shirley, was among those to criticise the move.
He said: "I am totally in favour of saying prayers before a council meeting."
