THE Christmas spirit is alive and well at a Worcestershire council after two councillors shared a ‘forgive-and-forget’ kiss under the mistletoe.

Long-time friends and fellow Wychavon district councillors Rob Adams, of Norton and Whittington, and Audrey Steel, of Inkberrow shared a good-humoured peck on the cheek for council colleagues on Tuesday, December 20.

The two Conservative councillors certainly livened up proceedings at the full council meeting of Pershore Civic Hall, after Coun Adams decided to say sorry in festive style.

Coun Adams left his seat in the chamber and stood up in front of the – somewhat bemused – assembled councillors to apologise after on-the-record planning committee comments reported in your Worcester News about Coun Steel’s view on an application for a woodland activity centre.

At the time, Coun Steel had said the planning application in question “was not the right facility to be in the woodland”

To which Coun Adams had responded, with a smile on his face: “Mrs Steel, I remember on a previous application, you spoke positively with words to the effect that in your younger days you spent time courting huntsmen in the woods.”

The comment was meant and taken in good humour, but Coun Steel corrected Coun Adams saying it had been “a hunting man” – later her husband.

So Coun Adams, ever the gentleman and never one to pass up on the chance for a lark, decided to say it with mistletoe and invited Coun Steel to “forgive and forget” up at the front of the class – an offer Coun Steel obliged him by accepting with open arms. Afterwards, Coun Adams said: “I read out my comment and said ‘Mrs Steel will you forgive me?’ I got a kiss under the mistletoe and it was all a bit of a laugh – it livened up the meeting. I joked with her that she had nearly jumped across the table for that kiss, but it was all in good part.

“If you can’t have a laugh what can you do?”

Coun Steel accepted the apology from her fellow councillor, and observed “all the other councillors were highly amused”.

Jack Hegarty, Wychavon’s managing director, said: “Coun Adams corrected his error and it was well received bu all councillors, including Coun Steel.”