Banbury Town Council is looking for a new town clerk to replace Tom Thompson who was jailed earlier this year for child sex offences.

After 53-year-old Thompson was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in April, the council decided to wait before seeking a replacement. He had admitted having sex with a 14-year-old boy.

Tom Thompson He commanded a salary of £42,000 and councillors had hoped to make a significant saving by finding a way of not having to replace him.

But council leader John Colegrave said: "Since April we having been paying Cherwell District Council to provide cover and the arrangement cannot continue indefinitely.

"There is only a very small saving on what we were paying the town clerk but we are only getting cover for two or three days a week.

"We have decided to re-advertise the post and have a look at the market place. We will test the water and see what happens and who applies. We must have a town clerk -- it is not working without someone in the position on a full time basis."

No decision has been made on the salary for the new clerk.

Mr Colegrave said the post would be advertised nationally in specialist local government publications, and the issue would be discussed at tonight's council meeting.

Thompson came to Banbury from Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands in 2000. Two preferred applicants turned the post down before it was offered to Thompson.

Mr Colegrave said: "In 2000, Banbury was a new town council, and some good people may have not wanted to take the risk of joining such a fledgling body. This time we might get a better quality of applicant."