Darlington'S new mayor will take office on Thursday.

Councillor Isobel Hartley, who was born in Heworth, Tyne and Wear in 1932, has lived in Darlington since 1967.

She was elected to the council in 1981 and has served most of her time on the transport, planning and licensing committees.

She and her husband, Robert, have four children, Jane, Joseph, Michael and Lucy, and three grandchildren, Molly, Jess and Ben.

For her mayoral year, Coun Hartley has chosen Crossroads, Darlington Association on Disability and Darlington Mind as her local charities.

The mayoral installation will take place at the annual meeting of the council, which starts at the town hall at 7pm.

* The new Mayor of Sedgefield, Councillor Ellen Robinson, is no stranger to being in the spotlight.

From 1989 to 1993, she acted as chairman's lady when the late Councillor Mick Terrans was chairman of Durham County Council.

Coun Robinson has been a member of Sedgefield Town Council for seven years.

She was a nurse at Winterton Psychiatric Hospital for 12 years, then worked at Ivy House, in Sedgefield, for three years until it closed.

She then became matron of Glebe House, Fishburn, a post she held for 15 years.

Coun Robinson has a son, Alan, who lives in North Yorkshire, and a daughter, Linda who lives in Abu Dhabi.

She has seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

The new vice-chairman of the council and deputy mayor is Councillor Ian Sutherland.