POLITICAL rivalry will heat up in Royal Wootton Bassett for the town's first inter-party games of boules

The town is set to host its 47th annual carnival on May 18, but this year there will not only be competition between rival procession floats, but also a fierce game of Pétanque, a type of boules, between Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors.

Three councillors from each side will go head-to-head on a specially constructed piste at Borough Fields at 11am.

Coun Steve Walls from the Lib Dem group said his team was hoping to take home the trophy.

"It's a bit of fun, we don't have to be any good, " he said, "but we don't know what they're going to be like. It's mainly for the publicity of the club."

Conservative councillor Nic Hughes said: "It's about joining in with the carnival festivities. "The Conservative councillors recently supported the pétanque club and we are helping them raise the profile of the group."

The newly appointed mayor, Conservative councillor Steve Watts, who will be decorated with the title at the official ceremony this evening, will present a trophy to the winning team.

Both sides will have to keep it clean, especially after last month's motion proposed by Lib Dem councillors to change the way the town's mayor is selected since the Conservatives have dominated the ceremonial position for the last 20 years.

The inter-party match is the brain child of the local Pétanque Club which is promoting the sport, their club and is having open day the following week.

They are trying to get more young people involved and have been working with the Local Youth Network to offer free Pétanque tasters on Carnival day between 10am - 4pm.

Coun Sue Hughes, chair of the Royal Wootton Bassett Local Youth Network, said: “With all the challenges faced by young people today, free, local, opportunities for positive activities that support well-being are very important. It’s great to see a local club like this offer some great free opportunities to our young people”

Alan McInnes, president of the Royal Wootton Bassett Pétanque club, said: “We wanted to offer an easy free way for local people to try the sport on Carnival day to gain a little more interest.”

On Sunday May 26 at 2pm the club is staging a Youth Open Event at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, where youth teams of three can be entered from local clubs and organisations working with young people.

Other highlights of the carnival include the procession, which starts at 4.30pm and finishes at the end of the High Street at 6pm, the George Scarrott Fun Fair, and a classic car display on the High Street.