FORMER mayor’s chauffeur and macebearer David Knight has defended Poole’s civic limousine.

Mayor, Cllr Phil Eades, is proposing that, as a cost cutting measure, the stretched limo should be axed, and he should use a zero emissions vehicle for the rest of his year of civic office.

But Mr Knight said: “The Mayor is in office for a year but the car is used by successive office holders.”

He was involved in the purchase of the current vehicle, a Colman Milne stretched Australian Ford Fairlane – which is now mended and will be back in use next week following a week’s trial of a Toyota Prius.

“The basis for selecting the limousine was that it is not a ‘posh’ car but suitable transport for the mayoral party. The car does not say ‘look at me’ but makes the statement: ‘I am carrying an important person’,” he said.

He said the car has to be capable of carrying the full civic party, which could consist of the mayor, sheriff and their escorts and sometimes other dignitaries and their partners.

The car is capable of carrying eight in total. Cllr Eades had suggested it was ‘anachronistic’ to be driven around in a posh limo but Mr Knight, who formerly held the post of Prime Warden to the Guild of Mace Bearers, said that term could apply to the office itself, which has existed since 1248.

“Maybe the other trappings of the office could be up for grabs, the chains, maces – of which there are five.”

He said they were irreplaceable and intrinsically priceless.

“On the many occasions that I was privileged to take the mayor to schools, the objects of interest were the mayor and the role, the chains of office, the mace and the car.”

He added invariably children were disappointed with the saloon as a mode of transport for the mayor.