WALTER Leach wants Lydney Town Council to ‘start a new chapter’ after he was elected as their new Mayor at a dramatic Extraordinary Full Council meeting on Monday evening.

The packed room of councillors and members of the public heard that three councillors had resigned in the past weeks, with Cllr Carol Harris being the latest last week, and it was confirmed that authority chief executive Mrs Jayne Smailes had also resigned.

It was the second Extraordinary Full Council meeting in a month after another difficult gathering on July 19 where accusations concering several issues, along with the confirmation that Cllr Harry Ives had resigned, were made.

Mayor Mr Brian Pearman also resigned from the authority three weeks ago.

Cllr Leach was unanimously picked to succeed Mr Pearman and, on accepting his position, he said: “I was co-opted onto this council and later elected in the May elections and I have to say that this is not what I expected at all.

“The journey to it is not what I expected at all. It has been bumps and problems along the way and we have come to a position where we are."

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK’S FORESTER