THE next four years for Blandford are vital, the new mayor Steve Hitchings has stressed.

At his mayor-making ceremony, Cllr Hitchings said a lot of different council services would have to be delivered in a different way, as a result of budget capping.

But in a rousing call, he said that united, they would stand and services would be protected.

"We need to start to communicate, town with town, parish with parish," he said.

"That is the reality of our situation.

"If we all pull together and communicate and co-operate, the co-ordination will happen and the services we all love and need will be protected.

"This is not going to come cheap and we will all have to take hard decisions, but it will be the very best for our communities as a whole."

Taxi driver, firefighter and father of two Cllr Hitchings said he wanted to see the completion of the CCTV system, more progress on the Corn Exchange and the start of the community hall off Shaftesbury Lane, during his term of office.

He said the projects were being held up by other bodies but not the town council.

He paid tribute to the work of two hardworking madam mayors Esme Butler and Sheila Chapman in whose footsteps he follows.

He said last year's mayor Mrs Chapman had shown commitment and "sheer determination" in her work as mayor.

Mrs Chapman, standing down from local politics after her second term as mayor, has been a town councillor for 12 years and a district councillor for 10.

Cllr Hitchings, whose mayor making coincided with his wedding anniversary with wife Lynn, has appointed Bronwen Hughes as Mayor's Guide, as part of his commitment to involve young people in the community.

His charities for the year are the Blandford Guides and Panda Pre-School.

Cllr Hitchings has served as deputy mayor for the past 12 months. The deputy is Sara Loch.

l Heather Bracewell, former Milldown First School headteacher, has been made an honorary freeman of the town.