Mayor making in Dorchester could be an outdoor event for the first time this year – depending on the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Last year's event was cancelled with mayor Richard Biggs continuing in office for a second term because of the pandemic.

Now the town council is trying to plan for the May 24 ceremony when councillor Gareth Jones will take the chains of office without knowing which restrictions will be in place at the time.

Town clerk Adrian Stuart told councillors on Monday evening that options were being looked at – ranging from what would, effectively, be a small invitation-only, indoor ceremony; holding the event on Zoom, or taking the ceremony outdoors.

He said that for the moment all the alternatives were being planned for with nothing settled.

The town clerk said the other issue would be what would happen to town council and committee meetings from May 8 when current emergency legislation to allow meetings to be held online, expires.

Mr Stuart said he, and other council administrators across the country, were anxiously waiting to see what the Government would decide although there had been speculation that online meetings could continue for at least another year.

He said a meeting between other town clerks and mayors with West Dorset MP Chris Loder had resulted in the MP making a plea to government for a quick decision, as most were now in the throws of trying to organise mayor-making ceremonies.