A HAMPSHIRE mayor hoping to serve a second term has been dumped – just days after winning a seat on the county council.

A mayoral merry-go-round has seen Councillor Jacqui England replaced by Councillor Anna Rostand – the woman she succeeded in tragic circumstances last year.

Cllr Rostand – a Conservative – was about to start her second 12-month term of office when her husband died.

Cllr England – her deputy – stepped into the breach and was hoping to remain as mayor until next May.

But she was defeated at Lymington Town Council’s annual meeting, despite strong support from members of the Liberal Democrat opposition group.

Lib Dems cited last week’s county council elections, where Cllr England, standing as an Independent, won the Lymington seat previously held by the Conservatives.

Cllr Martina Humber said: “Our present mayor is the people’s choice.

“She got hundreds of votes and should be our choice too. What the people want is what we should have.”

Cllr Sally May, a member of the Green Party, voiced similar views.

She said: “She has done a wonderful job as mayor and the town has shown overwhelmingly that it would like her to be mayor again.

“That should be the most important consideration.”

But members of the ruling Tory group supported Cllr Rostand.

Cllr Alan Penson congratulated Cllr England on her county council win but added: “It will take a huge amount of your time and will not allow you to continue as mayor.

“Indeed it would not be in the best interests of the town if you were elected.”

Cllr Rostand’s appointment as mayor was greeted with cries of “disgusting” and “political” from the public gallery.

Cllr England suffered another blow when Cllr Michael White won the race to become deputy mayor for 2013-2014.