THE deputy mayor of Farnham has hit out at factions within the Liberal Democrats she believes are responsible for starting a whispering campaign to discredit her position within the council.

Carole Cockburn, who is Conservative councillor for The Bourne, has angrily denied persistent rumours that her husband, Alisdair, is a freemason and that this has influenced her support of certain issues.

"There has to be a political dimension to this, but there is not a hint of truth in it. My husband is not a freemason and the whole thing is just a complete slur. It has come from people who are annoyed with the way I've voted."

Mrs Cockburn believes the rumours were started by certain Liberal Democrat councillors in an ongoing furore following the mayor-making contest last May.

Following Liberal Democrat Dr Penny Marriott's appointment as mayor, Lib Dem councillors Victor Duckett and Andrew Livesey broke party ranks to help vote in Mrs Cockburn as deputy mayor over Lib Dem candidate Duncan Steele.

The pair agreed with Tory group leader Captain Peter Burden's proposal, that a long standing informal agreement between the two parties dictated a proportional representational to the positions of mayor and deputy.

Mrs Cockburn added: "There is a faction within the Lib Dems who are opposed to me because of this. I know for a fact that one individual has said that I'll be mayor over their dead body, but I do not want to disclose the name."

She claimed increasing unrest within the Liberal Democrats is having an adverse effect upon the town council.

"I am disappointed with the way in which Farnham Town Council is being manipulated by different factions, which is a distraction and creates an unpleasant and tense atmosphere.

"I have found that cross party alliances work very well. Penny and I are good friends and quite similar people and the only source of tension is within the Liberal Democrats."

Mr Cockburn, who vented his frustration in a letter to The Herald, commented: "I was very annoyed, mainly at suggestions that my wife would be influenced by something like that and secondly because it simply isn't true.

"In all my life, I have only ever met one freemason and that was about 15 years ago."

He continued: "Firstly I know my wife well enough to know that she supports issues because she believes in them. She also works very hard to establish facts before making judgemental decisions and is guided by a consistent application of sound principles.

"If people have to stoop so low as to spread rumours about me in an attempt to criticise my wife's political positioning, then at least they should take the trouble to base their assertions on fact, rather than on fiction, hope or imagination."