Independent Warminster Town Council members Steve Dancy and Paul Macdonald have protested about the decision to co-opt former mayor Tony Nicklin on to the development committee.

Mr Nicklin, pictured, a councillor for six years, was put forward to be a co-opted member at Monday’s meeting, because of his role as chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group.

However, Cllr Dancey told the committee that if it supported the decision, he would not be able to sit on the town development committee any longer. He resigned and walked out after the vote supported the appointment.

Cllr Macdonald has since resigned from the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group.

He said: “I am very unhappy and uncomfortable with the turn of events over the last few months. There is a phrase, ‘Out with old and in with the new’, but somehow the Tories have turned this around to, ‘In with the old and out with the new’.

“I am very disappointed the idea of having representatives from new groups that are springing up to replace the old faces and ideas of how to do things has been rejected.”