A public meeting at the historic Guildhall yielded unanimous support for Windsor to get its own Town Council.

The turn out was modest but the 50 residents, councillors and business leaders who joined the leading campaign organisers were totally supportive.

Campaign leader Richard Endacott said: "The atmosphere was electric and considering it was a wet Friday evening and people were on holiday we were pleased with the numbers."

Former Royal Borough mayor and until recently Conservative councillor Dee Quick chaired the meeting.

She described it as 'odd' that Eton, Datchet and Old Windsor all had town or parish councils, whereas central Windsor and the outlying areas of Clewer and Dedworth did not.

She said: "I have seen what Eton Town Council has achieved and I think Windsor should follow its lead.

"I am a big supporter of the Royal Borough. I think it serves us well but there are some things that are best done by the town rather than the borough.”

The meeting was convened after senior members of every local political party jointly launched a petition calling for Windsor to get it own Town Council - similar to neighbouring Eton.

The petition needs 1,800 names to be debated by the borough - 7.5 per cent of the area's population - and is already halfway there.

Local resident John Holdstock said: “We need the wider public to know that a Town Council will not take powers away from the Royal Borough. This is about giving control of local matters to the people of Windsor.”

The old Windsor Council was merged with Maidenhead to create the Royal Borough in 1974 - and many feel Maidenhead has been too dominant since then.

A Windsor Town Council would have the same powers as neighbouring Eton Town Council - similar to those of a village parish authority and able to deal with the sort of local minutiae the Royal Borough does not have time for.

Eton Town Councillor Sue Evans offered her support. She said that having its own town council had enabled Eton to acquire its own tourism office and a new walkway.