THE last Mayor of Taunton Deane will take up office this week.

Cllr Catherine Herbert (Conservative) is being installed as the borough's first citizen at a ceremony in the County Room of the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, on Thursday evening.

Mrs Herbert has served as deputy to the outgoing mayor Hazel Prior-Sankey (LibDem).

Conservative Cllr John Gage will be the new deputy, but he will not follow the tradition of becoming mayor next year.

That is because the post will be scrapped from next April, when Taunton Deane Borough Council is merging with West Somerset Council.

The new authority is likely to be a district council, it cannot legally appoint a mayor.

As reported in the County Gazette last week, Taunton will become the only major town in Somerset without a mayor.

There have been calls from former mayors for the county town to set up its own town council and to appoint its own mayor.

At this evening's meeting, Mrs Herbert and Mr Gage will be nominated for their new roles before signing the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and then retire to be robed.

They will then return and the new mayor will address the council and Mrs Prior-Sankey will be thanked for the duties she undertook during her term of office before being presented with her past mayor badge.