ANN Reid has been a good servant to York for nearly 20 years, and was an excellent and popular Lord Mayor.

So few would quibble with her description of the blunder that has created headlines around the world as a "lapse in my usually high standards".

Her apology was open and unreserved, and she deserves credit for that. But there is no doubt that Coun Reid made a serious misjudgement in sanctioning the switch to green of all the traffic lights on the route of her daughter's wedding convoy. It certainly was not "very courageous of them to use trial technology of this sort for such an event of great personal importance", as council leader Steve Galloway attempted to claim.

Coun Reid is in charge of transport policies in a city with serious congestion problems. Ordinary drivers stuck in jams would like nothing more than to wave a magic wand and turn all the lights green.

She must have known her decision to use her position of power to do precisely that for personal benefit would cause consternation.

There was no ill-intent and this mistake does not come close to corruption. But it has created severe embarrassment for York and its council, and raises questions as to the judgement of Coun Reid and, crucially, those officers who advise her.

Therefore Labour councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing is right to call for an inquiry. Its findings should be published in full, allowing York to move on as swiftly as Coun Reid did herself.

Updated: 10:31 Wednesday, October 19, 2005