Councillors are furious at City Hall's flag flying at full mast on the day one of its most senior politicians should have been honoured.

As many paid tribute to former Lord Mayor Harry Mason, civic officers opted to mark the 11th birthday of Princess Eugenie - daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York and sixth in line to the throne - for part of the day with the flag at full mast.

The flag had been lowered for part of the day out of respect for Councillor Mason who died on Thursday after a long battle against motor neurone disease.

But senior councillors argued it should have flown at half mast all day for one of its most loyal citizens.

It was later lowered and remained so for the rest of the day.

Labour leader Councillor Ian Greenwood was unhappy about the flag flying at full mast.

He said: "It's not appropriate. I accept that Princess Eugenie is probably a nice young woman and, in other circumstances, I wouldn't object to the flag flying on her birthday, but today is different.

"To see it at full mast, on the death of such a brave and outstanding man as Harry Mason, is offensive."

And Labour's Councillor Peter Lancaster said: "This was a man of vital civic importance.

"I'm very disappointed that, despite the fact that he's just died, the flag's been at full mast. I don't even know who Princess Eugenie is."

And Coun Mason's fellow Queensbury councillors were also furious.

Councillor Andrew Smith (Queensbury, Con) said: "People won't know or even care that it's Princess Eugenie's birthday.

"But they remember Coun Mason completing his year of office with dignity and courage."

Peter Jackson, a motor neurone disease sufferer who recently presented Coun Mason with a £2,000 cheque for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said: "It should be at half mast all day out of respect.

"Harry was a great civic leader and a well respected man who means more to Bradford than Princess Eugenie."

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which issues directives on local government buildings, said: "Flag-flying is entirely up to each local authority."

Bradford Council chief executive Ian Stewart said the Lord Mayor's office has an agreed annual protocol which lists 34 days a year when flags are officially flown over City Hall.

This includes the birthdays of those in line to the throne as well as national Saints' days and events such as the commemoration of the Bradford City fire disaster.

The birthdays of Prince Andrew, the Duchess of York and their daughters are all included.

On the instructions of the Lord Mayor's office the Union Jack was flown at half-mast between 8.30am and noon in memory of Harry Mason but was then raised at noon to mark Princess Eugenie's birthday.

It was Mr Stewart who ordered the flag to be lowered immediately to half-mast again after it was pointed out to him at 12.50pm.

He said it was a clash of protocols and the member of staff involved had been trying to meet both demands.

He said: "We would like to apologise for any distress which may have been caused to Harry Mason's family. In my view we should have been doing everything we can to pay tribute to a man who gave tremendous personal service to the Council and the community despite the pain and discomfort of his illness.

"This is not something we would have wanted and I am extremely disappointed that this has happened."

He said the flag would fly at half-mast from now until after Coun Mason's funeral next Friday.