Chatteris has a new mayor in the shape of Councillor Bill Haggata.

Outgoing mayor Councillor James Carney handed over the chain of office at the meeting of Chatteris Town Council.

Cllr Haggata was co-opted on to the town council in November 2014 and stood for election to the council to the following May, returning unopposed.

He is a very active member of the council and is on both the planning and leisure working groups and is a driving force behind the gas lamps project.

Aside from the Council, Cllr Haggata is a trustee of Chatteris Museum and a member of the Chatteris Community Archive team. He is a founder chairman of the Chatteris Past, Present and Future group and was one of the founders of the community cinema.

Following his election to the position of mayor at the annual meeting of Chatteris Town Council, Cllr Haggata thanked Cllr Carney and deputy mayor Cllr James Burrow for their work in the past year and said he would like to continue the theme of putting Chatteris on the map.

He was keen to encourage businesses and development in the town as this was the only way to enhance facilities for the people of Chatteris.

Cllr Haggata’s wife Ruth will take on the role of mayoress and Cllr Carney was elected to the position of deputy mayor.