A LLANDOVERY councillor has said he was “ashamed” at the turnout at Sunday’s civic service at Llandingat Church.

Cllr David Rees ended his mayoral year last Thursday when he handed over the civic reins to Cllr Gill Wright.

But Cllr Rees said he was dismayed at the poor attendance at the civic service just three days later.

“I was bitterly saddened,” he told colleagues.

“The mayor of another town asked me: ‘Where are the people of Llandovery?’

“I felt embarrassed walking through the streets of our town – 80 per cent of the people who turned out for the civic dinner never made the service.

"I'm sorry to have to say this in your first meeting as mayor, Gill, but it needed to be said."

County councillor Ivor Jackson agreed. “I, too, was very disappointed by the turnout,” he said. “It was the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Cllr Wright said: “I was thrown in at the deep end because a lot of the contacts of various organisations had changed.

“We will have to look into this and do better next year."