It may not be the usual pose of a newly appointed Mayor, but Roger Roud who has just been confirmed in that role for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council decided that instead of being photographed in his robes and regalia he would rather be snapped sitting on his Triumph motorcycle.

Cllr Roud has lived in East Malling since 1977 and has represented the area on the council since 2015.

He has served on the licensing, waste, environment and planning commitees and has been Deputy Mayor for the past two years.

His wait to become Mayor was unusually long.

Because of the Covid restrictions last May, the council did not meet to elect a new Mayor and Cllr Jill Anderson stayed in the post for an extended two-year term.

Cllr Roud, a Liberal Democrat, is also a parish councillor for East Malling and Larkfield, where he is active in the community, serving on committees for the East Malling Institute Trust and the local conservation group. He also looks after the village history archives, is a member of Clare Lake Restoration Project and has been chairman of governors at the former Millstream County Primary School in East Malling.

Cllr Roud, 70, and his wife Pam have three children and four grandchildren. He lists his interests as researching his family history and classic motorcycles.

He is secretary of Bexley Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club.

He has chosen the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance as his charity for the year.

He said: "I’m very much looking forward to the year ahead as life hopefully continues to safely return to some sort of normality and I’m proud to be supporting the very worthy Kent Air Ambulance in my mayoral duties.”

At the council' annual meeting on May 4, members elected Cllr Sue Bell, who represents Snodland East and Ham Hill ward, to be his deputy mayor.

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