IT'S IMPORTANT to keep traditions sometimes — those were the words of Callington Portreeve Karen Gold as the town council decided to continue saying prayers at its full meetings.

Callington Town Council will meet for prayers five minutes before the meeting starts after a court ruling declared that prayers during meetings was unlawful.

The ruling came after an atheist former councillor took Bideford Town Council to court, with the backing of the National Secular Society.

The issue has caused major debate with many believing that politics and religion do not mix and others wanting to keep the tradition which goes back decades in many towns and districts.

Contrary to scrapping prayers altogether, many councils, such as Callington, are taking part in prayers before the formal agenda begins.

At last week's Cornwall Council meeting, 90 out of 123 councillors took part in prayers at 10.20am before the meeting started at 10.30am.

Cllr Gold said: 'I would like to continue with prayers. It is a time for reflection and it is important that we keep traditions sometimes.

'If we do prayers before the meeting, people have the choice whether to take part or not.'

Since the ruling, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has decided to move forward a power contained in the Government's Localism Act, which was due to come into force in April, which will make the practice of holding prayers lawful.

Town councillors said the decision to hold prayers at 6.55pm before the meeting at 7pm was a temporary one as things would be sorted out in a couple of months.

'I really believe that the Government will sort it out as most councils do not like what is happening,' said Cllr Philip Harriman.