The new mayor of Stafford will be inaugurated this Saturday (16 May).

In February, it was announced that Cllr Mark Winnington would become the town's new mayor, following in the footsteps of the current mayor, Cllr Jenny Barron.

Cllr Winnington has been committed to improving the lives of residents in Stafford for several years and was first elected to the borough council in 2003.

He currently represents the Gnosall and Woodseaves Ward on the local authority.

Additionally, Cllr Winnington served on Staffordshire County Council and is a member of Ranton Parish Council.

A special ceremony will be held at the Gatehouse Theatre this weekend, at which Cllr Winnington will take the chains of office.

The annual meeting of the council, also known as 'mayor making', will be followed by a church service and a military parade which will march through the town at around 12:45pm.

Locals are expected to line the streets to watch the parade of servicemen and women, along with local organisations , to celebrate the appointment of the new Mayor.

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Cllr Winnington has said it is an 'honour' to be chosen for the role which dates back over 400 years.

Rosie, his wife, will become Mayoress and he will be raising money for Katharine House Hospice and Staffordshire Air Ambulance during his civic year.

Cllr Winnington added: "This is a great honour and I thank everyone for putting their faith in me.

"I am looking forward to representing the borough and promoting it as a great place to live and work.

"I was born here, I went to school here, and I live and work here – and that makes me so proud to now be the 'first citizen' of an area I really cherish.

"It will be an incredible 12 months in office and I hope to raise the profile of this borough while raising money for my chosen charities."