Monster raving loony party candidate John Cartwright brought an element of farce to Croydon Council proceedings when he was ejected from a meeting for refusing to stand in the presence of the mayor.

Mr Cartwright, who began his political career as a candidate for the Chocolate Fudge Party in 1994, before moving to the Monster Raving Loony Party, refused to get to his feet when the Mayor of Croydon, Counillor Graham Bass, was due to enter the chamber on Monday, December 5.

Grasping a sign asking “for who?” Mr Cartwright would not be budged from his seat.

There followed ten minutes of uncertainty as councillors on the floor bickered about the legality and those in the public gallery stood and sat in turns as several attempts to begin the meeting were thwarted before council staff persuaded him to leave.

Mr Cartwright said: "I was waiting to stand for the Mayor, and I would have been happy to do so if asked; the problem was that I was not asked.

"Instead of being asked to stand for the Mayor,as is normal practice, we were abruptly asked to stand with no reason or explanation being given.

The delay was thus caused not by me, but by the member of staff who failed to answer my polite and reasonable question.

Once proceedings were up and running it was the turn of a second electoral candidate sat in the public gallery, former Central Croydon MP Andrew Pelling, to get involved.

Mr Pelling, following up a written question to Coun Dudley Mead about the cost of buying Love Croydon advertising in the Croydon Advertiser, said: “Why does he think it is appropriate for the council to advertise with a paper which, unlike the Croydon Guardian which has shown great leadership removing sex adverts linked to human trafficking, continues to run such advertising?

“Does the cabinet member think it appropriate that the council advertises with such a paper ?”

Coun Mead replied: “I see no reason why the council should not place adverts with the Croydon Advertiser, a local paper that has served the community for 125 year and should be supported.

“If, on the other hand, there is a lobby group on this issue this is something that should be brought before the newspaper, not the council.”