THE new mayor of Elstree & Borehamwood says she will look to steer the town council to quality status during her year in office.

The prestigious title is awarded by the Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils (HAPTC) and rewards a standard of effectiveness, activeness and representativeness.

Councillor Sandra Parnell (Con/Hillside), who will be appointed town mayor at a meeting tonight, said: “We're going to work very hard this year with new councillors who are very enthusiastic and put everything into it.”

The mayor said she would also look to engage more residents in the council's decisions by setting up of a special advisory committee.

In other appointments, Cllr Charles Kelly (Con/ Hillside) will become deputy mayor and Pat Strack (Con/Hillside) will take the position of leader of the council, following Hannah David's decision to step down at the elections earlier this month.