A BID is being launched to change Torfaen council's constitution after Labour's shock return to power.

The council remains under Labour control after five Cwmbran councillors - two independents and three Plaid - chose to back the party instead of join a rainbow coalition.

Now Pontypool councillor Fred Wildgust is taking legal advice on whether the opposition Torfaen People's Coalition can launch a bid for constitutional change.

A clause in Torfaen's constitution says that if more than 10 per cent of electors sign a petition the council must hold a referendum on the constitutional change sought.

Councillor Wildgust is calling for proportional representation to make sure all political parties are represented in Torfaen's cabinet and on committees.

At the moment all eight cabinet positions and six of the scutiny committee chairmanships are filled by Labour councillors, with the three Plaid and two independent councillors who backed Labour given chairmanships of the other five scrutiny committees.

Councillor Wildgust said: "I am convinced that there is an opportunity to organise a countywide petition and force the council to hold a referendum.

"I will be seeking legal advice from my solicitor and instructing them to engage a barrister, at my own expense, to make an independent interpretation of Torfaen's constitution.

"I will fight to secure democracy."

Councillor Stuart Evans, leader of Torfaen People's Coalition, said the group will be meeting as soon as possible to discuss their options, and said of Cllr Wildgust's move: "Certainly we will be looking at that. It's an option that's open to us and we will discuss all options."

Cllr Evans said voters were outraged that the five councillors sided with Labour.

Angry Torfaen residents left dozens of comments on our website after we revealed the five councillors - Jeff Rees (Fairwater), Maria Graham (Llantarnam) and Fiona Cross (Coed Eva) of Plaid, and independents Alastair Cunnington (Two Locks and Henllys) and Peter Cathcart (Pontnewydd) - were rewarded with chairmanships of scrutiny committees, which each come with annual paycheck of at least £18,000.

But council leader Bob Wellington said the "arrangement" would bring stability to local governance in Torfaen.

Senior Labour councillor John Cunningham, cabinet member for operational services, called the independent coalition members "hypocritical" for joining with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

He said the five Cwmbran councillors would not necessarily support Labour, who he said were the most experienced party and the best placed to run Torfaen council.