THREE district councillors have been called in to serve on a parish council after a mass resignation.

Huntingdonshire District Council has taken on responsibility for Hilton after seven members resigned following a fall-out sparked by plans for a Jubilee beacon on The Green.

An election to fill the vacancies will be held on Thursday, July 4, but in the interim HDC has stepped in.

The new members are Cllr Alan Williams, Cllr Greg Harlock and county and district councillor and Hilton resident Ian Bates.

Cllr Bates, who was chairman of Hilton Parish Council for three years in the 1980s, said what had happened to the parish council in recent weeks was a shame and called on villagers to get involved in the election.

“We need the election,” he said. “It’s important to get people to stand, vote and then the new parish council has a mandate to go forward.”

Just two members remained after first two and then five councillors resigned. The matter had to be added to the agenda of HDC’s full council on May 15 because the parish had been left unable to carry out its legal responsibilities due to the lack of numbers.

Cllr Bates was voted in as temporary chairman at a meeting on Thursday, but will not seek election. He said: “I am only there on a temporary basis.”

Anyone wishing to stand can request a nomination paper by calling 01480 388086.