Council counters said the petition was 1,000 signatures short

For a referendum to be called, Torbay Council had to receive a petition with 5,012 valid signatures on it.

In November, a document was handed in to demand an executive committee of councillors did not run the authority.

However, more than a fifth of the names on the petition were duplicates or could not be identified, meaning they were invalid.

When council officers checked the signatures, they found more than 600 were not on the electoral register.

There is clear guidance on the criteria that must be met to make a petition of this kind valid Paul Lucas, returning officer

Another 154 had signed more than once, and more than 300 others were illegible or incomplete.

This meant organisers of the original 5,246-signature petition were 1,123 names short.

Referendum campaigners had hoped if the process went through there could have been a mayoral election in October.

Torbay Council Returning Officer Paul Lucas said: "I have had to advise the petition organiser, Mr David Scott, and his colleagues that currently his petition is not valid.

"There is clear guidance on the criteria that must be met to make a petition of this kind valid."

Budget shortfall

Campaigners have been assured that they can still gather outstanding names.

Mr Lucas said: "I have discussed with Mr Scott options available to him in order to continue getting a valid petition together."

If the process goes ahead, it will cost the cash-strapped council about �50,000.

Last month, the council announced it was facing a projected �4.5m budget shortfall and may have to lose up to 100 jobs.