If you want a by-election to fill a vacant seat on Alton Town Council, you just have to ask for one - that’s the message from the experts at the town hall.

Robert Saunders was one of three candidates unsuccessful in their bids to be co-opted on to the town council when it met on July 9.

He was unhappy that the three chosen to fill vacancies in Ashdell, Eastbrooke and Whitedown wards were voted for by eight councillors rather than the electorates in those wards.

The trio have joined an authority making its decisions at public full council meetings held at least ten times per year and comprising all councillors.

But Mr Saunders said the council was “no longer fit for purpose” with most members having “no mandate from Altonians”.

Town clerk Tom Horwood explained that elections could have been triggered by just a small number of potential voters.

He said: “The elections process is run by East Hampshire District Council. Town council by-elections have a strict legal timetable and process that states that the district council must be asked within 14 working days by ten electors to run an election.

“At the end of that period, we were notified by East Hampshire District Council that there would not be public elections for any of the three wards and that we must proceed to co-opt new councillors.

“There were no by-elections because not enough people had requested before the legal deadline that elections take place.”

Nomination of candidates would not have happened until after an election had been called. Six people stood for co-option, which would have been enough candidates for contested by-elections in all three wards.

Mr Horwood stressed that co-option was as fair as any by-elections would have been.

He said: “The co-option process followed the correct legal processes, transparently and in public during the council meeting.”