CIVIC prayers have lost their slot on the monthly agenda at Watchet Town Council.

Historically, councillors have allocated a few minutes at the start of their full council meetings for one member to say a prayer.

But this week they overwhelmingly voted to drop the item - but not without some controversy.

Cllr John Richards claimed it would be "a grave crime" if the prayers were removed.

"We are a Christian community, a Christian country and they have been a part of this council for as long as I remember," he said.

But Cllr Richards was told they had not always been on the agenda and in the past had been removed but subsequently reinstated.

And Cllr Ruth Gavenlock said that, as an agnostic, she felt she could make decisions that were just as moral as those made by someone who had a faith.

Until his resignation from the council earlier this year, Vincent Woods, a local Roman Catholic deacon, usually gave the prayer.

Other councillors have taken up the mantle since Mr Woods stepped down, including Cllr Peter Murphy who for the past two months has taken a less specific faith orientated approach to the task.

"I would prefer a secular organisation like the council not to have formal prayers," he said.

At the council's monthly meeting on Monday, Cllr Murphy asked councillors to reflect on the life of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple who died last week, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and his controversial meeting with Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.

Cllr Murphy said he had taken the same approach when, as head of year at a comprehensive school, he had been charged with having an act of worship, which could be provided in a different way.

"The kind of approach I have taken over the past two months is more appropriate for a secular organisation."

He said the children's charity Barnardo's had introduced a moment of reflection at the start and end of meetings and this could be something to consider.

"Somerset County Council and West Somerset Council have prayers at their annual meeting when they invite a minister to come along and conduct them.

"I believe this council, by having prayers every month, is overdoing it."

However, Cllr Dave Westcott disagreed and said he backed Cllr Richards' stance.

"I do believe that in this town one of our main jobs is to uphold standards and that is what prayers do.

"I strongly believe the Christian faith does give us high standards and by having prayers every month we are putting ourselves in a Christian mode.

"It's just another slippage if we don't have them."

But Cllr John Irven said that, historically, Christians, Muslims, Jews and many other faiths all had moral codes.

Councillors were elected to represent all of the people, whatever their faith.

Cllr Loretta Whetlor suggested that, rather than calling the item prayers, it could be called reflection.

"I am a practising Christian but I don't see the need for prayers at the start of our meetings," she said.

"I would rather have a moment to reflect on what we hope to achieve."

And Cllr Lin Hart, who also described herself as a practising Christian, said if the task went "around the table" and was taken on by different councillors, prayers could be said or a moment of reflection taken.

However, council chairman Cllr Sally de Renzy-Martin declared that past experience had shown that trying to give councillors the task on a rotating system would prove impossible.

"I put it forward several years ago that perhaps once a year at our annual meeting we could call on ministers of different faiths to give us an annual blessing but I was shot down in," she said.

Cllr de Renzy-Martin said she liked the idea of an annual blessing and perhaps a minute or two of "quiet time" before each monthly meeting.

"It gives people the chance to gather their thoughts and decide what they are going to do for the town.

"People can have their own thoughts and say a silent prayer or whatever faith they follow."

Cllr de Renzy-Martin's suggestion was backed by seven votes to three.