IT was a case of ‘non, merci – we’ve found someone else’ when Bovey Tracey town councillors contacted their twin town in France for the first time in 15 years.

Cllr Chris Robillard revealed to a surprised town council that the moorland town was no longer twinned with its French neighbour Le Molay-Littry in Normandy.

After contact with the Normandy town had faded over the years, Chris had been tasked with renewing links with their French chums and reviving the dormant twinning association.

However, he explained at a meeting this week that when he made overtures to French officials he was dismayed to discover the town had found a new twin.

‘We haven’t had any official contact with them for many years and they have now gone and twinned with another town near Epping Forest!’ he said.

‘Some towns are twinned with more than one place. But when I asked them if they would like to remain twinned with us as well they said they couldn’t afford it.

‘They were initially positive about the idea of renewing our friendship when I made contact towards the end of last year.

‘But in the meantime they’ve had a change in the local government, a new mayor and other officers, and the new regime has decided to say “au revoir”.

‘I can’t say I blame them, it must be 15 years since we last had contact. They thought we’d forgotten them!’

Chris added: ‘I’m very much for l’entente cordiale and had planned a twinning event in March, as well as a possible cultural exchange and tennis visit – but now I’m not sure what we should do.’

Chris, who has strong family connections with France, said: ‘It’s sad to report really. We should keep close ties with our nearest neighbours, so we’ll need to find a new twin town now.’

Another town councillor, George Gribble, was at the meeting. He said: ‘I was as shocked as everyone else to hear we have lost that link.

‘I helped set up the twinning association many years ago – it took a long time. I signed the charter along with the town mayor way back when.

‘It was vibrant and popular for a long time.

‘There was even a street called Rue Bovey Tracey in the twin town, but that might well have gone now.

‘We had many exchange trips and football events, and I still remain friends with one family.

‘But people move on to new things and sometimes no one comes in to replace them.’

The news has presented the town with the problem of what to do about ‘twinned with’ information displayed on signs at the approaches to the moorland town – and an even bigger headache about one of the main routes into the centre.

‘It’s named Le Molay-Littry Way, but for how much longer?’ Chris wondered.