Ivybridge has a new mayor and deputy mayor, following their election at the May town council meeting last week.

Cllr Anthony Khong takes up the position of mayor following two years as deputy mayor. And Cllr Ann Laity has been elected as the town’s new deputy mayor.

Cllr Khong joined Ivybridge Town Council in 2009 while still working as a community nurse in Plymouth. He retired from the NHS in 2013.

During his time on the town council, Cllr Khong has served on various committees, including chairing the Planning and Infrastructure Committee and also the Watermark Committee.

Over the years, Cllr Khong has been involved with a number of charitable and voluntary groups. He is currently serving as a trustee on the Stairways Board and represents the town council on Ivybridge Caring.

Cllr Khong said: “I have enjoyed working as deputy mayor for the last two years and appreciated serving alongside the outgoing mayor, Cllr Dave Gray-Taylor, joining him in meeting many people both within and outside the local community.

“I am grateful and delighted to all my fellow councillors and would like to thank them for having chosen me to serve as mayor of Ivybridge. I intend to serve the people of Ivybridge to the best of my abilities.

“My Charities for the coming year will be the Ivybridge Foodbank and Ivybridge Youth projects.”

At the meeting on Monday, May 8, the outgoing mayor, Cllr Gray-Taylor, presented two cheques for £1,037.24, from funds raised during his term of office, to the Ivybridge branch of the Royal British Legion and the Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

A spokesman for the Royal British Legion said: “Thanks for the all the support for the Royal British Legion, we want to be part of Ivybridge and the get our message out to the whole community. We couldn’t do it without the town council’s support.”?A spokesman for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust said: “We’d like to thank the past mayor for nominating the air ambulance. We completely rely on independent funding from the people of Devon. Over the last 25 years, we’ve flown 24,000 missions. Through community support such as this, we’ll keep going.”