THE Mayor of Worcester is facing an embarrassing snub of his big civic parade this Sunday - with rival councillors refusing to attend.

Your Worcester News can reveal how councillors across the city from the Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat parties are all planning to give Cllr Alan Amos' showpiece Civic Service event a wide berth.

Eight months on from the acrimonious falling out just one of Labour's 15 city councillors, previous mayor Pat Agar, is attending.

To top it off the city's lone Green Councillor Neil Laurenson is also avoiding it, saying "I'd rather twiddle my thumbs", while Lib Dem Councillor Liz Smith is not going either.

It comes despite the yearly event being widely viewed as among the most important on Worcester's calendar.

The Labour group insists there is no 'official boycott' in place and says its councillors were free to make their own minds up.

But many of them told your Worcester News they are skipping it because of what they call "the disgraceful" antics of Cllr Amos.

In June last year Cllr Amos quit Labour to become an independent, before using his vote to allow the Conservatives to wrestle back control of the council 48 hours later.

On the same night he was then made the Mayor of Worcester, a position he will hold until this year’s elections.

Because he'd already had a pre-booked holiday the annual Civic Service due in June last year to be shelved, leading to it being arranged for this Sunday after difficulties in trying to get another date with Worcester Cathedral.

Labour Councillor Roger Berry, himself a former mayor who is boycotting it, said: "I only support mayors that I have confidence in."

Fellow Labour Councillor Chris Cawthorne said she did “not want to endorse" the current mayor by attending, while fellow absentee Jo Hodges called his rise to the mayoralty "disgraceful".

"I will always support a mayor who I respect, but this whole business was disgraceful," she said.

Former deputy mayor Paul Denham, also from Labour, said he had "no intention" of attending, while some others like Richard Udall, group leader Adrian Gregson and Geoff Williams said they do not normally attend the parade anyway.

Cllr Gregson said: "I'm not going. There isn't an organised boycott, but he had his chance in June."

Some others cited work commitments, or said they had other things in their diaries.

Cllr Smith, the city's lone Liberal Democrat, said she had other commitments but added: "Even if that wasn't the case I wouldn't be going - something feels different about it this time in the way the mayoralty came about."

When the original Civic Service was postponed the council had to write to more than 100 magistrates, judges, former mayors, community leaders, councillors, dignitaries and assorted VIPs to tell them.

Today Cllr Amos said: "This is a very exciting, important event for the city and I'm really looking forward to it.

"Everyone has been invited and they are free to make their own decisions.

"The Cathedral will be full, everyone is keen to put on a really good event."

He said the theme for Sunday will be "cherishing your family and friends".

He also added he felt there was “nothing sacred about June”, saying other cities and towns have their annual civic services at varying times of the year.

Worcester MP Robin Walker, who confirmed he would be there, called the criticism “sad”, adding: “We all have our disagreements but I do find this petty.”

* The Civic Service gets underway from 9.45am on Sunday, which will start from the Guildhall.

For the report and pictures see Monday's Worcester News.