Northampton's new mayor to be welcomed at Guildhall ceremony

During the ceremony, the role of first citizen of Northampton will pass from Councillor Gareth Eales to Councillor Tony Ansell, who will be supported in his work by his mayoress, Jayne Crofts.

Tony will become the 778th Mayor of Northampton and was first elected to Northampton Borough Council in 2011, representing the Abington ward, where he lives and works.

Councillor Ansell is a founding member of both the Friends of Abington Park and has also owned the Park Café in Abington Park for the past 40 years.

As mayor and mayoress, Tony and Jayne plan to hold events and activities to raise money for the Hope Centre, a local charity which tackles homelessness and poverty.

Councillor Ansell said: “I am honoured and indeed humbled to become the 778th Mayor of Northampton. It has been my ambition to fulfil this role since I left school, so this is a dream come true.

“I will work incredibly hard throughout my mayoral year and look forward to meeting as many of our town’s residents as possible. I want to restore civic pride back into the town and leave a lasting legacy of improvement for Northampton.

“During my time as mayor, I will be supporting the Hope Centre, a charity I have been involved with for many years now. Homelessness seems to be far more of an issue these days and affects the most vulnerable of our town."

The incoming deputy mayor is Councillor Nazim Choudary.