A would-be councillor has been left £200 out of pocket after a registration mix-up to serve on Whitehaven Town Council.

Painter and decorator Chris Hayes had intended to stand as a town councillor for the Hillcrest ward but, due to a misunderstanding, he did not complete the application paperwork.

The post was filled uncontested by Julie Rayson, of High Meadows.

Now details of the mix-up have been disputed by Mr Hayes and Copeland Council.

When Mr Hayes signed a form for the information pack, given by Copeland Council staff, he believed he was then a candidate. He claimed he was given no further instruction to fill out the pack.

After discovering last week that Mrs Rayson had taken the seat uncontested, he contacted Copeland Council to be told that the forms were solely to register for the registration pack and not as a candidate.

He said: “I’m distraught. I was planning on an open meeting with the community. I’ve also spent £200 on flyers. I was so disappointed. One phone call from Copeland – that’s all it would have taken to tell me I’d registered for my pack but not as a candidate.”

Copeland Council refutes any claims that Mr Hayes was not presented with clear instructions on the application process.

A spokesman said: “It was made explicitly clear to Mr Hayes that he had only completed a small part of the application process when he met with the elections team on July 21, and he was given the relevant paperwork to complete the application.

“By his own admission in a subsequent conversation, Mr Hayes accepted he had not even read the information we had provided him. If he had, it would have been clear to him we required a great deal more information in order for his candidacy to proceed.

“In this instance, the onus was on Mr Hayes, and he must take personal responsibility for his failure to complete the process.”

Mr Hayes said that he supports Mrs Rayson and has offered to help her. He also said he would consider standing for the role in the future.