At a meeting on Monday evening, Cllr Serena Sexton was elected by Honiton Town Council as the new chairperson and mayor of Honiton.

Cllr Serena Sexton has been standing in as a temporary mayor and chairperson after the resignation of ex-mayor John Zarczynski and she will now continue in the role permanently.

Cllr Helen Hurford was elected as vice-chair and deputy mayor.

The resignations of the mayor and the other councillors caused a shortfall in the number of sitting councillors, until seven new members were elected in March.

It was also announced in Monday's meeting that Cllr David Munge had contacted Cllr Sexton via email and had resigned from the council, with immediate effect.

Cllr Sexton said she did not know why he had chosen to resign, but she thanked him for his work on the climate change agenda, the Yes 1 energy event and for working along Health Matters, an organisation which helps people with food and energy poverty.

Cllr Sexton said: "It is with regret that I accept David's resignation."

At the Annual Town Council Meeting on April 28, Cllr Sexton acknowledged that that the previous year had been 'momentous' for Honiton Town Council.

Cllr Sexton said: "This has been an extraordinary period for Honiton Town Council, with an almost entirely new set of Councillors being elected within twelve months.

"Now that the composition of the council has been stabilised, we have set ourselves a challenging programme of work.

"We are concentrating our efforts on improving the fabric of the town, establishing a vibrant and attractive market that will bring business to Honiton, work on climate change issues and raising the profile of the town through publicity and social media."