A COMMUNITY association chairman has officially announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate in Darlington’s local government elections this May.

Kevin Nicholson, 26, has been chairman of the Firthmoor Community Association since 2008 and became one of the youngest people in the country to receive a British Empire Medal [BEM] in the Queen's New Years Honours List in 2014.

He has announced his intention to stand as an Independent Candidate in the Eastbourne Ward and said: “I am passionate about my local area, I care about its future, I’ve been working hard for several years to make things better for local people and I certainly want to do more, however I can only do that if people vote for me, the great thing about the Eastbourne ward is that you get three votes, I’m just hoping that people use one of their votes for me.”

Mr Nicholson said he wanted to give Eastbourne residents better value for their money from their local councillors.

He added: “I want to bring the town hall to people’s doorstep, with a new fresh approach to politics.

“I have no interest in being just another politician, I want to make people feel part of the process, where their opinions matter.

“I have a proven track record in Eastbourne and I would be honoured to serve local people on the council.”

Mr Nicholson has experience of politics, having served as a Darlington Youth MP in 2006 and winning Darlington’s First Citizen of the Year Award the following year.

His priorities for Eastbourne include dealing with speeding cars and motorcycles, fixing potholes and tacking nuisance and anti-social behaviour.