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A town council in Dorset has been criticised after members voted unanimously to reintroduce prayers to its meetings.

The National Secular Society said Lyme Regis Town Council's decision to hold prayers could be "alienating".

Mayor Owen Lovell said the move had been "unanimously supported" and was in line with council traditions.

Recent legislation reinstated local authorities' rights to hold prayers as part of council business.

'An oddity'

The society's campaign manager Stephen Evans said: "This is about the importance of keeping religion and politics separate.

"It's wrong of them to bring their personal religious practices and beliefs into formal business of politics."

Mr Lovell said if a councillor were elected who objected to the practice, the council would "reconsider its position".

Three years ago, a High Court ruling stated prayers in formal meetings of the council were "not lawful", according to the Local Government Act 1972.

The Local Government (Religious Etc. Observances) Act was passed in March and restored the right for any elected authority to start a meeting with prayers, if a majority agreed.

Mr Lovell said the majority of councils did not hold prayers and described Lyme as "a bit of an oddity".