A NEW mayor is set to be elected for Ringwood after the town's first citizen councillor Michael Thierry stepped down from his role four months early.

Councillor Thierry was meant to remain mayor until May but had decided to try and become the area's county councillor in this year's local elections.

The new mayor election - decided by the town's existing 13 councillors - will be held at Ringwood Gateway this evening at the Town Council meeting from 7pm.

If it is decided that the current deputy mayor, councillor Tim Ward, is to become the new mayor then the council will elect a new deputy mayor in his place.

Councillor Thierry had said he wanted to study the county council's role in the town ahead of the poll on May 4.

Ringwood Town Council has also been without a town clerk since Steve Nash's departure in November after working for the council for three years.

Councillor Thierry was forced to defend his decision after some councillors claimed he had left his town "in the lurch".

He said: “Becoming a county councillor would be quite a big step up. I’ve never got involved in the machinations of the county council and thought I needed a little bit of time to familiarise myself with its functions and statutory responsibilities.”

Cllr Thierry said it was “utterly ridiculous” to suggest he was leaving Ringwood in the lurch by standing down as mayor today.

“It pre-supposes that Ringwood is a one-man council, which is manifestly incorrect,” he said. “The mayor has no power - their role is ceremonial.”