RADNAGE Parish Council was dissolved tonight, after a packed hall of residents demanded councillors step down from their roles.

Nearly 50 people attended the meeting at Radnage Village Hall, and many heckled the councillors throughout the evening.

Wycombe District Council must now set up an interim parish council, until new elections can be held.

At last month's parish council meeting, members of the public expressed their concern at the behaviour of council members, and called a vote of no confidence.

One of the key reasons cited tonight was that a bitter rift had developed in the authority.

Ian Blaylock, finance officer at the council said: "I can't recall the parish council ever facing a vote of no confidence. This council was formed in 1894, and there's nothing in records to suggest this has happened."

The council tonight discussed whether former chairman Martin Blakstad had brought it into disrepute for publicly reading a letter from a council employee that stated the reasons why they wanted to resign from their post.

But many parishioners supported Cllr Blakstad and renewed their cries for the authority to be dissolved.

Cllr Alan Gardner, who was recently awarded a medal by WDC for his long-standing service to the parish council, thought the public feeling was too strong to ignore.

He said: "The current council should, in my view, stand down."

Chairman Vic Bunce thought that the cost of a new election would be too much for the parish. He said: "I think you will have to understand that finances do come into this and to spend £1,000 on this is ill advised."

But Wycombe District Councillor Chris Watson, who also attended the meeting, expressed his disappointment that not all the councillors seemed to be listening to their parishioners.

He told the meeting: "I'm somewhat dismayed when it's well known that a majority of residents that are interested enough to come to this parish meeting are in agreement that this council is considered to be bringing the village into disrepute.

"I'm very sorry and annoyed that some councillors seem to be threatening not to give the will of the people."

Eventually the councillors agreed to tender their resignations, and the parish council was officially dissolved.

WDC will set up an interim Parish Council to govern Radnage until proper elections are held.

Cllr Watson said he hoped that residents in the parish would step up to be considered as new councillors. He said: "I would like to see many people applying for the election the district council will run. Radnage deserves a choice of people on the parish council."