MYSTERY surrounds the whereabouts of an item of mayoral regalia, which councillors believe could be lurking in the dim and dark recesses of Tavistock Town Hall. Councillors at last week?s meeting of the town?s finance committee heard that despite an extensive search, the mayor?s female consort chain of office had gone walkabout. Town clerk Col Roger Howard said the chain went missing after the refurbishment of the council offices in Drake Road in 2004. The building was emptied and staff temporarily took up residence in offices in Duke Street. He said: ?We had a huge walk-in safe where the new lift now is. All sorts of rubbish was in there, the maces and lots of bits and bobs. It had to be emptied and everything was taken to Duke Street or the town hall, where everything was stuffed into cupboards, drawers, the attics and cellars. ?The chain is a tiny little thing ? you can bet your life it?s inside something else ? we?ve searched very hard on numerous occasions but we can?t find it. ?The thing is, in May if the council elects a male mayor with a female consort, we need to have a chain for her.? Col Howard told the committee he had submitted an insurance claim for the chain ? but the insurance company had refused to treat the loss as ?an insured peril?. He said Fattorini, the company which made the original chain, could produce a new one for £1,605. An additional quote had been obtained from Vaughtons for a similar chain in metal gilt at £890, or £1,280 in silver gilt. Cllr Peter Jones said the council needed to take a more robust attitude with the insurance company. He said: ?I think we should be insured and we should claim against it. They just say ?No, you are not covered? and so many people are not appealing against this.? The committee decided before any replacement was bought, a second attempt to claim for the chain would be submitted to the council?s insurance company.