Gravesham's 40th Mayor was voted in at a ceremony this week.

Cllr Derek Sales, pictured, is the Labour councillor for Central ward and was elected on Tuesday at the Civic Centre, in Windmill Street. He has been deputy mayor for the past year.

His wife, Pam, will join him for his mayoral duties as Mayoress of Gravesham.

Cllr Sales, who will be 72 in July, was an electrician until seven years ago and worked for the National Grid for 40 years.

He has three children – two sons and a daughter – and is also a grandfather of two.

He will be using his year in office to raise money for two charities – Cancer Research UK and local homeless charity, the House of Mercy Hostel in Edwin Street, Gravesend. The hostel and day centre provides help for young vulnerable people.

Cllr Sales said: “It is an unexpected honour to become the 40th Mayor of Gravesham.”