COUNCILLOR George Gray has been installed as the new Mayor of Sedgefield Borough Council.

Coun Gray, of Newton Aycliffe, received the chains of office from outgoing mayor Coun David Newell at the council's annual meeting on Friday.

A member of Great Aycliffe Town Council for 16 years and the borough council for eight, Coun Gray is a former Mayor of Great Aycliffe.

He has been involved with the town's Stroke Club and St John's Ambulance Brigade, which awarded him its highest honour of Serving Brother. Coun Gray said he would be raising money for cancer charities during his year in office.

Ferryhill councillor Marie Predki was named as deputy mayor.

Meanwhile, two new cabinet positions have been created on Sedgefield Borough Council.

In his first act as leader, Coun Bob Fleming has increased the number of cabinet portfolios from seven to nine.

The new positions, in performance management and welfare and communications, used to be part of former leader Brian Stephens' responsibilities.

Coun Fleming said: "When I looked at the cabinet structure it was obvious there was no way one person could possibly carry out all of those duties, so we decided to increase the number of cabinet positions."

Apart from the leader, only Coun Bill Waters has survived from the previous cabinet and he moves from regeneration to housing.

New deputy leader Kester Noble has taken on the regeneration brief.

Coun John Robinson of Sedgefield is the new cabinet member for culture and recreation.

The other cabinet positions are: Resource management, Bob Fleming; Environment, Alan Hodgson; Community Safety, Malcolm Iveson; Supporting People, Agnes Armstrong; Performance Management, David Newell; Welfare and Communications, Barbara Graham.

In another new move, Coun Fleming has expanded the development control committee to include every member of the council.

Coun Fleming has given opposition members a role on scrutiny committees, with a chairmanship for Liberal Democrat Gary Huntington and a vice-chairmanship for Independent Lorraine Smith.

* A NEW mayor and deputy mayor of Sedgefield village were installed at a ceremony in Ceddesfeld Hall on Thursday.

Sedgefield Town Council elected Coun Linda Maddison to be this year's mayor and Coun James Wayman as deputy.

Coun Maddison's charity fund will aid Alzeimer's research and support the elderly of the village.

Her first public duty comes on Sunday, June 1, with a Civic Service in St Edmund's Church at 10.45am.

Coun Maddison was secretary to the managing director of Tallent Engineering in Newton Aycliffe before she retired.

She has lived in the village for 16 years and is a supporter and member of Sedgefield Community Association, St Edmund's Church PCC, Neighbourhood Watch, Victim Support and Sedgefield in Bloom.

Retiring Sedgefield Village Mayor Ian Sutherland thanked all who had supported his charity which raised more than £1,600 for the youth of the village.