THE CONTROVERSIAL new Mayor of Worcester has paid another price for his rise to prominence - by being booted off the county's fire authority.

Your Worcester News can reveal how Councillor Alan Amos is no longer sitting on the powerful 25-strong body which controls the region's fire service.

Under long-established rules the seats are handed out to Worcestershire's biggest political parties on a proportional basis.

Cllr Amos quit Labour earlier this month to become an independent, meaning he is no longer entitled to sit on it.

The county's Labour group has moved quickly by replacing him with Councillor Chris Bloore, who was elected for the first time last year.

Councillor Richard Udall, chairman of Worcestershire's Labour group, said: "The fire authority roles are handed out to the different parties based on political balance at the county council.

"He's had has fingers burnt by leaving the Labour group and we've found a replacement."

The decision is just the latest development in a slow loss of political influence for Cllr Amos, who became mayor earlier this month after quitting Labour to vote in new city council Tory administration 48 hours later.

Cllr Amos has refused to go into details over why he quit, but left after failing to secure the nomination to be Labour's deputy mayor candidate.

He is now no longer on the city council's planning committee, which makes some of Worcester's most important decisions year in, year out.

As a result of becoming independent he is also off the county council's environmental and economy scrutiny panel, which routinely picks apart issues like congestion, flooding, the future of the High Street and apprenticeships.

It also grills bosses from some of the county's most important public bodies like Severn Trent and BT.

Your Worcester News can also reveal how his position as vice-chairman of the county council's planning committee is under threat.

The committee makes decisions on items like school and railway expansions, but the county's Labour group want to suggest a replacement at the next full council meeting, which will require a vote.

That meeting takes place next Thursday, on July 3.

* A petition calling upon Cllr Amos to resign as Worcester's mayor and quit his city council ward of Warndon has now gained 280 signatures.

The creator, Ted Elgar, is aiming to reach 500 names and says if he hits that target he will present it to Cllr Amos personally.

To view it visit www.ipetitions.com/petition/alan-amos-must-resign.