Overview

• Tony Hewitt resigned in June after serving less than two months to remove any conflict of interest and enable his wife’s entry into the Ferryhill in Bloom contest.
• Ferryhill Town Council policy bars councillors and their spouses from entering its competitions to maintain impartiality.
• He had been appointed unopposed in May because there were only seven candidates for 17 council seats.
• Applications to co-opt a replacement close on August 13; judging for this year’s Ferryhill in Bloom contest is now complete.
• The council refused the Hewitts’ offer to forfeit any prize voucher and donate its value to charity.