COUNCILLOR John Bright has become the new Mayor of Amesbury.

Cllr Bright, who has been a councillor in the town for the last 10 years, was voted in by his councillor colleagues last Tuesday.

“I am very flattered and honoured to be made Amesbury’s mayor,” he said.

“This is an exciting time for Amesbury, it has just been discovered we are the oldest town in the country.

“There are new shops and developments happening here too.

“There are issues though, including the A303, and that needs to stay high up on the agenda.”

Cllr Bright is retiring from his job as a ranger warden on Salisbury Plain this month so he can devote more time to his mayoral duties.

He is also a keen supporter of Cancer Research UK and has completed several sponsored hikes to raise money for the charity.

This July he plans to walk 80 miles along canal paths from Oxford to Coventry to raise another £2,000.

Amesbury’s new deputy mayor is John Swindlehurst, who beat councillor Andy Williams by nine votes to six.

Cllr Swindlehurst hopes to follow in the footsteps of his wife Jan, who was mayor of Amesbury in 2012-2013.