The crowds turned out for the annual civic parade through Maidstone.

Hundreds of shoppers gathered in Jubilee Square and the High Street to see the town's new Mayor, Cllr Daniel Moriarty, who took office today with Mayoress niece Shirley, take the salute as soldiers marched past.

Members of 36 Engineer Regiment, along with the Queen's Own Gurkha Engineers, exercised their right as Honorary Freemen of the Borough to march through the town with bayonets fixed.

Beforehand, the Corps Band of the Royal Engineers, had also entertained crowds in Jubilee Square as they waited for the annual council meeting took place in the town hall.

The meeting saw outgoing Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Richard Thick, hand over to Cllr Moriarty for his mayoral year.

Cllr Moriarty will be accompanied by his niece Shirley as Mayoress as his wife, Lana, is currently unwell.

Cllr Fay Gooch (Ind) said of him: "He is very much a gentleman and very much a man of the people. He will bring kindness, compassion and understanding to the mayoralty."

Cllr Moriarty used his speech to speak of the council, and the town's, support for the Nepalese community, following the devastating earthquake last month, and two subsequent quakes, the first of which also claimed the life of Bearsted student, Matt Carapiet, 23.

The numbers of Gurkhas able to take part in the parade today were down as many of them are in Nepal helping with the relief effort.

An overcome Cllr Moriarty added: "I'm looking forward to a very busy and fulfilling year as Mayor of Maidstone. Maidstone is a great model of how people can live together in a sharing community."

His charities for the year will be the Ellenor Hospice for Children, formerly ChYps and the Alzheimers Society. His deputy will be Cllr Derek Butler.

Afterwards, members took a vote for their new council leader.

In a tense vote, which had to be taken twice, Lib Dems leader Cllr Fran Wilson, was voted in as the new leader by 26 to 25 votes, replacing the Conservatives' Cllr Annabelle Blackmore. Her deputy will be Cllr Gooch.

Cllr Wilson will lead the council into a new system, working with committees, rather than under the cabinet system.