Burnham has welcomed a new mayor and deputy but only after the voting was split by the town council.

Helen Elliott, who still held the title of mayor, cast the deciding vote at the statutory annual meeting on Wednesday night, after there were five votes each for councillors Ron Pratt and Neil Pudney.

Conservative Mr Pudney, who was Mrs Elliott’s deputy mayor, was welcomed as Burnham’s mayor and he elected former mayor Peter Elliott to be his deputy.

See this week's MBS for the full story.