A NAKED mermaid didn’t find favour as an icon for Lyme Regis but councillors can’t agree on what best sums up the town.

Councillors on the tourism committee went into private session to discuss tenders for the design options at a recent meeting but couldn’t find a consensus on what they wanted to advertise to the world as the essence of Lyme – or even if they needed a logo at all.

In August councillors were urged by chairman of Lyme Traders Tony Colston to adopt the mermaid logo, arguing it was quirky and had impact.

But some councillors thought she showed altogether too much flesh for a family seaside resort and wanted a re-think.

They still can’t agree and before re-branding the town with its own logo want to keep on discussing ideas.

Coun Rikey Austin said the committee just couldn’t decide.

“Everybody liked something different.

“Some people loved the mermaid, some people loved some of the other stuff.

“If you are talking about a logo you have got to have something that everybody can agree on and we can all get behind and believe in.”

She said that they hadn’t decided what they wanted on the logo – whether it was the Cobb, a mermaid or something else.

“Until we decide which direction to go we can’t decide what we actually want it to look like.

“We need to get it right and have that balance between what everybody can believe in and work together on but not something that is weakened by being too wishy-washy and too lowest common denominator.”

Coun Austin said it would not be possible to sum up all the elements of Lyme in one logo.

Traders chairman Mr Colston said: “It is unfortunate that a decision has not been reached.

“We just felt it would be a useful addition to the profile and promotion of Lyme Regis and differentiate it from many other resorts.

“We will see where further discussions can take it.”

Lyme Regis tourism webmaster Bob Brooker said it was difficult for councillors to make a decision on such a subjective thing.

He said: “They have to try and choose and they don’t want to upset people.

“They want to try to make a decision that will make people happy.”

Mayor Sally Holman said there were differences of opinion.

She said: “It was not possible for the committee to reach agreement to make a recommendation to full council.”