A TOWN council has elected its youngest ever mayor into office

At 22 years of age, Cllr Alex Hall is the youngest of Newton Abbot’s town councillors ever to wear the mayoral chain of office mayor.

Cllr Hall, who has served as deputy mayor under several previous incumbents, accepted the ceremonial chain of office from out-going mayor, Cllr David Corney-Walker, at the town council’s annual ‘mayor making’ meeting.

The meeting, which took place on Wednesday, May 15, saw Cllr Hall unanimously voted into office.

‘To be the mayor of the town I love, my home town, it really is quite an honour’ said Cllr Hall, mayor of Newton Abbot.

‘It is great to be entrusted with the responsibility by very experienced councillors’ he added.

Taking his seat in the mayor’s chair, Cllr Hall announced Cllr Colin Parker will serve as his deputy mayor, his first time in the role, though the councillor of 17 years has previously served as mayor.

‘I am very pleased to be working alongside Alex’ said Cllr Parker.

‘I hope to be able to support him as best I can throughout his term of office’ he added.

Appointments taken care of, Newton Abbot’s new mayor announced his chosen mayoral charity - the Life Chance Trust - a charity supporting young people age 16-25 who have experienced childhood trauma.

Cllr Hall shares the title of Devon’s youngest mayor with Keeley Allin, who was elected as Torrington’s mayor also at 22-years-old.

The youngest ever mayor in the UK was mayor of Goole, Terence Smith, who took office at just 19-years-old.