THE new Mayor of Mirfield has vowed to fight for the town and restore civic pride.

Clr Vivien Lees-Hamilton, also a Kirklees Tory councillor, is the new figurehead for Mirfield Town Council.

Mirfield-born Clr Lees-Hamilton, 53, a driving instructor, has been a town councillor since 2004 and was elected to represent Mirfield on Kirklees two years later.

Clr Lees-Hamilton, whose husband Mark Hamilton will be consort, has a son Peter, 18.

She said: “It’s a great honour to be mayor of the town where I was born and have lived for all my 53 years.

“My aim for the coming year will be to work hard, with my colleagues, to achieve the best for the residents of Mirfield.

“I want to restore civic pride and this is a great opportunity to do some good.”

Clr Lees-Hamilton said her proudest achievement so far was securing a multi-use games area (MUGA) and BMX track at Knowl Park in Mirfield.

“It gave the kids somewhere to go and get them off the streets,” she said.

Clr Lees-Hamilton will have two charities for the year.

One will be Mirfield’s Safe Anchor Trust, which provides canal boat trips for disabled and disadvantaged groups. The other has yet to be decided.

Deputy mayor will be Clr Andrew White, 44, who runs Mick’s Fruit and Veg in the town centre.

Clr White, who lives in Birstall, has a wife Jennifer, also 44, two daughters Rachel, 26, and Emma, 23, and two grandchildren Ellie, five, and four-year-old Andrew.

Clr White works hard for the town and volunteered for the unofficial role as ‘guardian’ of Mirfield’s public conveniences.

When Kirklees Council wanted to close the toilets in Station Road Clr White agreed to open and close them every day.

The town council plans to take on the cost of running the toilets.

Clr White said: “I don’t want any credit for what I do. I just get on with it.”