AFTER temporarily taking over the role when Cllr Sandra Slade resigned in April, her deputy, Cllr Paul Bolton was elected Minehead Mayor by town councillors at their annual meeting on Tuesday.

An Independent member for Alcombe on both the town and district councils, Cllr Bolton thanked Cllr Slade for her valuable contribution to the town during her term of office and said that, although the current pandemic and the economic crisis would pose many problems in the future, he was looking forward to the challenge.

“Things will be difficult but we must do all we can to restore some sort of safety and normality to Minehead as quickly as possible,” he said.

Cllr Andy Kingston-James was elected deputy mayor.