THE new Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland will be making her year in office a family affair after being elected as the borough's first citizen.

Coun Vilma Collins, who has represented the Dormanstown ward for 16 years, has already spent a year as deputy mayor and takes over from outgoing mayor Arthur Dobson.

And instead of having one mayoress, Coun Collins will have three - her sisters Barbara Beadman and Linda Martin and her friend, Christine Ruddock, who all served as deputy mayoresses.

Coun Collins' top two charity choices will be the St John Ambulance and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, supporting the lifeboat stations at Teesmouth and Redcar.