On a night of pomp and ceremony, the Chartham and Stone Street councillor Rosemary Doyle has been elected Lord Mayor of Canterbury.

The Conservative has spent the last year serving as Sheriff under outgoing Lord Mayor Cllr George Metcalfe and was formally elected at Canterbury City Council’s annual meeting in the Guildhall last night.

Cllr Doyle, a councillor since 1999, said: “I have enjoyed a remarkable year as Sheriff and it is an honour to be elected Lord Mayor of Canterbury.

“I’m very much looking to my year as Lord Mayor and I will be looking at getting help from everyone here to promote Canterbury as one the greatest cities in the country and one of the greatest cities in the world.”

Cllr Doyle’s consort will be Jenny Yonge, who has served as her escort while Sheriff. They will raise money for homeless charity Porchlight and the Pilgrims Hospice.

For Cllr Metcalfe the meeting was his last in the chairman’s seat. He told councillors and assorted dignitaries including former Lord Mayors Peter Wales and David Pentin and former council leader John Gilbey that he and his wife Lillian had enjoyed their time in office.

“Lillian and I have had enormous fun,” he said.

“It started well with the Pride march a year ago in which we were at the head of a procession of two or three thousand people.

“The parade showed that we have lots of different types of people with lots of different thoughts. Lillian and I even had to learn morris dancing.

“I would particularly like to thank the Dean and Chapter at Canterbury for their many kindnesses and we have been able to forge close links.”

Cllr Doyle’s Sheriff for the year will be former policeman Colin Spooner, a Seasalter Conservative councillor.

Elected at the 2015 city council elections, Cllr Spooner’s wife Julie and mother of his three daughter will be his escort.