THE newly-appointed clerk of a town council has suddenly announced her resignation.Aldeburgh town council will have to look for another clerk after Elizabeth Durrant announced yesterday that she would be resigning for personal reasons.

By Richard Smith

THE newly-appointed clerk of a town council has suddenly announced her resignation.

Aldeburgh town council will have to look for another clerk after Elizabeth Durrant announced yesterday that she would be resigning for personal reasons.

This will leave the town council seeking a replacement as soon as possible to work with the authority and the new mayor, who is due to be elected at the town council meeting on Monday evening.

Miss Durrant said yesterday: “I am resigning for personal reasons and it is entirely my own business.

“I have a month's notice and will work that until they find somebody - it is nothing controversial.”

She added: “I have had a valuable experience here and I am sure that it will be useful for me in the future.”

Miss Durrant, of Spencer Way, Stowmarket, took up the job in March and she said at the time she was looking forward to the challenge. She hoped to move into the Aldeburgh area after she had settled into the position.

She was appointed in controversial circumstances. Miss Durrant took over from Andrew Harris, clerk for 15 years.

He had to give up the job when he turned 65 at the start of February because the council had brought in a new policy that the clerk had to retire at 65.

Mr Harris, of Church Lane, Aldringham, was interviewed when he reapplied for his job along with several other candidates and Miss Durrant, who had been working for the county council's Customer Service Direct organisation in Stowmarket, was given the job.

Celia Leggett, deputy mayor, declined to talk about the clerk's resignation and she said that an announcement would be made at the town council meeting on Monday evening.

It is understood that the town council will interview one of the previous applicants and then make a decision about Miss Durrant's replacement.

There was a short period after Mr Harris left his job when the town council was without a clerk and councillors helped to man the office in the Moot Hall.

Miss Durrant, who did not have experience as a town clerk, then took up her job without the benefit of handover period from the previous clerk.