SPENCER Flower is expected to become the first leader of the new Dorset Council.

The Verwood councillor is a former leader of Dorset County Council and East Dorset District Council and played a lead in shaping the constitution of the new 82-member Dorset Council.

The Conservative group on the council, which has a four seat majority, selected him as leader at a meeting over the Bank Holiday weekend, although it is thought he will still have to be formally voted in at the first council meeting on May 16.

After being elected leader of the Tory group, Cllr Flower said: "I am delighted to have been given the support of colleagues in what will be a very demanding role."

Cllr Flower, who has appointed Cllr Peter Wharf as deputy group leader, spent his working life in engineering including 21 years as managing director for two engineering companies.

He became Dorset County Council leader in May 2013 taking over from Angus Campbell who held the role for seven years. Mr Flower had been East Dorset District Council leader for five years prior to taking on the county position, being first elected to the district council in 1999.

He is highly regarded for his local authority knowledge having been for many years an active member of the Local Government Association locally and at regional level and has played a key role in bringing the new Dorset Council to fruition.

He has sat on a number of committees including the Stour Valley and Poole Partnership Joint Committee, Dorset Waste Partnership, South West Provincial Employers, the county council’s Economic Growth Overview and Scrutiny and the county Pension Fund, as well as the Dorset and Wilts Fire and Rescue authority.

In his mid-70s, Mr Flower lives in Verwood with fellow councillor Toni Coombs. In the May 2 election both were elected for the town ward, Mr Flower with 1,946 votes, Ms Coombs with 2,083. The other successful candidate in the ward was also a Conservative, Simon Gibson, who topped the poll with 2,235.

Mr Flower and Ms Coombs were also returned to Verwood Town Council for the Dewlands South ward where there were not enough candidates for an election to be held.