New mayor of Brighton and Hove takes office
0A long-serving councillor who has served Brighton and Hove for nearly 40 years has been handed the mayoral robes and chains for the coming year today (Thursday, May 15).
Before stepping down from front line politics at next year's election, Brian Fitch will be the city's first citizen for 2014/15.
The ward councillor for Hangleton and Knoll in Hove, who was a previous mayor of Brighton in 1989/90, was handed the chains of office by the outgoing mayor Councillor Denise Cobb at Hove Town Hall.
She becomes deputy mayor for the coming year in place of Councillor Bill Randall.
In his first speech in the role, Cllr Fitch said: "With an electoral record like mine, it's nice to have some security with the future.
"I intend my mayoralty to be a pair of two longheld values: those of peace and harmony.
"I think they are particularly pertinent given the year is the centenary of the Great War."
He said that he would be raising money for three mayoral charities -- Brighton Housing Trust (BHT), the Martlets Hospice and the Argus Appeal.