A man who has been involved in local government for the last 58 years has stepped down.

Members of Chatteris Town Council, including the Mayor, Cllr James Carney, said goodbye and thank you to Mr Ivan Cooper for 16 years’ service as financial officer and presented him with an engraved glass trophy and pen set.

Mr Cooper believes that in his 58 years’ service at county, district and town levels he has performed every possible task there is to do in a council finance department – including rent collection on foot.

His first job was in the vehicle licences office of the former Isle of Ely Council at what is now Fenland Hall.

He was subsequently employed as an internal auditor with Cambridgeshire County Council at Shire Hall for a number of years before being appointed the first ever treasurer of Chatteris Urban District Council.

Following local government re-organisation in 1974 he held various financial positions with Fenland District Council, including the first IT manager. After taking early retirement in 1999, Mr Cooper took on two-part time posts - working at the George Clare Surgery in Chatteris, where he eventually became practice manager, and as financial officer for Chatteris Town Council.

Mr Cooper’s successor at Chatteris Town Council is Mrs Angela Papworth, of Whittlesey, who has a number of years’ experience in banking and with Peterborough City Council.”