A TOWN council which found itself at the centre of a social media storm has elected a new mayor.

Ferryhill Town Council, in County Durham, elected Councillor David Farry as its chairman for the remainder of the 2018-19 civic year on Wednesday.

His appointment follows the resignation of Councillor Richard Smith from the post after he was publicly criticised for Facebook posts about gay people and Islam.

Cllr Farry, who works for a renewable energy company, is a former member of Durham County and Sedgefield Borough Councils and was involved in the reopening of the former county council-owned Ferryhill Leisure Centre.

The dad-of-two, only the second independent mayor of the authority in a century, said: "I will do the best I can to my ability. I'd like to think we can all work together, it doesn't matter what political parties we are we are all here for Ferryhill. It would be fantastic to look back in three years and see what we've achieved."