A COUNCIL which axed prayers from its monthly meetings is to introduce an annual blessing of its civic duties.

The decision by Watchet Town Council to replace Christian focused prayers with a minute's silence for quiet reflection at the beginning of meetings caused division among councillors when it was agreed last October.

But the move was described as timely by council chairman Cllr Sally de Renzy-Martin in February this year after a High Court ruling in which Bideford Town Council was found to have acted unlawfully by allowing prayers to be said at its meetings.

However, at their meeting on Monday, the majority of councillors in Watchet voted in favour of asking a local minister to perform a blessing at the authority's annual meetings.

Cllr de Renzy-Martin said the idea had first been mooted when the decision was taken to drop the prayers.

And Cllr Dave Westcott said he had asked for the issue to be considered now because he had been disappointed that a minister had not been asked to attend the council's recent annual meeting.

"I don't think it should upset those who are not Christian," he said.

"I feel it is an important issue. We should have this because we are British and it is a standard that we should adhere to ."

Cllr Westcott said a church service had been a part of the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations.

And Cllr Anne Cleveland added: "If it is good enough for the head of state, then it shouldn't hurt us to have a blessing once a year."

However, Cllr Peter Murphy said it was wrong to draw an analogy between the Queen having a service as part of her jubilee celebrations and the council having a blessing.

"The Queen is head of the Anglican church," he said.

Cllr Loretta Whetlor said she did not recall any councillor being against the idea of an annual blessing when the issue was raised previously.

Cllr John Irven agreed and said he did not think anyone had an objection.

But he said any blessing should be cross-denominational.

However, four of the nine councillors at the meeting abstained from voting on the proposal.

One of them, Cllr Ruth Gavenlock, told the meeting: "I don't think it is necessary to have a religious faith to be moral."