Sheerness Town Team has a new chairman.

Popular Island figure John Nurden fulfils the role vacated by Andrew Deeley, who stepped down to concentrate on business interests.

Mr Nurden, 60, from Glenwood Drive, Minster, was elected at a meeting held on Monday night at the old Swale council offices in Trinity Road.

Chris Reed, a member of Sheerness-based Big Fish Arts group, was voted in as vice-chairman.

Mr Nurden, a former newspaper editor who now runs his own PR company, Almost Legendary Publicity Services, said his latest voluntary role came “completely out of the blue”.

He said: “I wasn’t planning to stand, but ended up being nominated and voted in.

“I came on board with the team at the beginning of the year to help raise its profile because member numbers had dropped to half a dozen.

“But, thanks to an appeal in the STG, we had an excellent response and it was a delight to see some traders at Wednesday’s meeting.

“The whole team is coming along tremendously well. We’re already putting together an extra set of events, working hand-in-hand with traders and market stallholders.”

Mr Nurden, who has two children and a grandchild, said the team had set its immediate sights on organising the Sheerness lantern parade and the town’s Christmas lights switch-on.

He said: “Thanks to everyone who replied to the Sheerness Times Guardian appeal. It was really comforting to know so many people out there still believe there’s life in Sheerness.”