A TENBY resident who enjoys helping the community has taken on his greatest voluntary role - as the 627th mayor of the historic town.

Councillor Laurence Blackhall was installed in the traditional mayor-making ceremony on Friday evening when he said it was a “huge honour” to be first citizen of the town he first visited as a holidaymaker.

Originally from the West Midlands, Councillor Blackhall spent his professional career working in services for children and families.

A member of Tenby Town Council since 2010, he is churchwarden at St Julian’s Church at Tenby Harbour and a member of the ‘Souperman’ catering team at St Mary’s Church.

Councillor Blackhall was proposed as mayor by Councillor Christine Brown, who said: “He is one of the people who tirelessly strive to make our town a better place to live in.”

And the new mayor would bring “energy and honesty” to the role, said Councillor Mike Evans, who seconded the proposal.

Councillor Blackhall appointed his partner, Samantha Skyrme, as mayoress, while Councillor Sue Lane will continue as deputy mayor.

The outgoing mayor, Councillor Paul Rapi, who began his year of office with a broken leg, joked: “I might have been wheeled in, but I am walking out!”

Reappointed as Sergeant at Arms was John Morgan, with Ernie Vokes as Sergeant at Mace and Teifion Powell as town crier.

The new mayor’s chaplain will be the Rector of Tenby, Canon Andrew Grace.

At the reception which followed in the De Valence Pavilion, Councillor Blackhall announced that his chosen charities would be Tenby’s Hafal Resource Centre and Tenby RNLI, while the theme for his year of office would be “volunteering and celebrating all that is good about our town”.