Beaconsfield now has a new mayor after councillor Patrick Hogan was elected to the role this evening.

He was sworn in at a meeting of the town council on Thursday (May 12).

Cllr Hogan is also the Conservative district councillor for Beaconsfield West and has lived in the town for more than 25 years with his wife Jacqui.

Before nominating cllr Patrick Hogan for the role, the outgoing mayor, John Read, said:  “It has been an honour to serve as the mayor for the last year, I can’t believe a year is up.

“Cllr Patrick Hogan has done a sterling job supporting me over the last year and I think he would be a very fine mayor in the coming years. All the best and many congratulations.”

Cllr Alastair Pike added: “Patrick has not been with us for that long but he has done an excellent job and applied himself with much endeavour.”

After the mayoral chains were handed over, cllr Hogan thanked the town council for “bestowing upon me the honour of being mayor of Beaconsfield” and presented cllr Read with a lapel pin.

Cllr Hogan said: “I would like to thank the outgoing mayor who, during his year of office, has been very helpful and very supportive to me and given me great encouragement.”

Cllr Pike was elected as deputy mayor and will also continue to be leader of the town council, after cllr Philip Bastiman said he had done a “very good job” for the last 12 months “in mind and body.”

Cllr Bastiman will continue his role as deputy leader of the town council and was praised for doing an “excellent job” while standing in for the leader.

Cllr Pike said: “I decided to take a leave of absence for a few months and I was very grateful to Philip for standing in and doing an excellent job while I was away. I hope he won’t have to do it again, but if he does, we can all be confident in his chairmanship of the council while I am not here.”