KIRKLEES has a new first citizen.

Keen Huddersfield Town fan Clr Jean Calvert was unanimously elected mayor of the district yesterday.

And first on her agenda was meeting the Queen today.

Clr Calvert said: "I'm extremely proud and will do the job to the best of my abilities."

The Ashbrow Labour councillor takes over from Clr Donald Firth for the next year.

She was elected to the post unopposed at yesterday's Kirklees Council Annual meeting.

After the vote Clr Calvert said: "I'm very much looking forward to representing Kirklees as first citizen.

"It's an immense honour that my first role will be to greet the Queen in Huddersfield."

Slaithwaite-born Clr Calvert, who goes to as many Town matches as possible, said her designated charity would be the West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust, which is trying to build a children's hospice at Brackenhall.

After taking over the mayoral robe and chain she paid tribute to her predecessor, saying: "Clr Firth has carried out his duties very well over the past 12 months."

Lib-Dem Clr Karam Hussain was appointed Clr Calvert's deputy unopposed.

He first won a seat in Dewsbury West in 1998, becoming his party's first Muslim councillor in West Yorkshire.

Clr Hussain, who was born in Kashmir, said: "This is not just a personal honour, it's a day that everyone in this country can be proud of.

"Today this council has shown that discrimination has no place in this society. I will use this position to promote unity, equality and fairness."