A POPULAR county councillor is stepping aside after 26 years representing the people of two Derwentside communities.

Len James has been a Durham county councillor representing Craghead and South Moor since the mid-70s.

At a recent meeting of the two wards, the unanimous vote was for 59-year-old Dave Marshall to take over.

Mr Marshall, a former district councillor at Chester-le-Street, has lived in Craghead for 11 years and is a retired director of operations on the trust board of Durham County Ambulance Service.

He said he was "delighted" by the decision.