If only all political clashes could be solved so amicably!

Maidstone Liberal Democrat borough councillor Dave Naghi and Conservative Cllr Derek Butler met at the Howard de Walden Centre in Bluett Street, Maidstone, this week to settle a dispute over who was the better table tennis player.

After a hard-fought match, Cllr Butler emerged triumphant.

“To be honest,“ he said gracefully, “it was pretty close; the scores were in the region of 18 to 21 for each game.”

It was one of Cllr Butler’s last activities before being appointed Mayor of Maidstone this coming Saturday.

The two men had agreed that the loser should give £10 to the new Mayor’s charities, but in the end, the game was so close, they both made a donation.

Despite their political differences, the two get on well. Cllr Butler said: “Dave’s career and mine have mirrored each other’s. We were both elected to the council in the same year, 2002; we served on the same committees initially, and we have both had an interest in supporting the Maidstone Sea Cadets.

“In fact, Dave could have been Mayor instead of me, if he had chosen to.”