AN Earby councillor has become the deputy mayor of Pendle.

Cllr Rosemary Carroll, 57, became deputy mayor in the annual mayor making ceremony.

Cllr Nawaz Ahmed, a Labour councillor in Brierfield, is the new mayor of Pendle.

Cllr Carroll has represented the Earby ward as a Conservative councillor for the past three years. She was also a borough councillor between 1992 and 1996, and 1999 and 2008.

She was born in Keighley and came to Pendle at the age of five. She has lived in Nelson, Colne and Kelbrook, before moving to Earby three years ago.

She is self-employed and runs a small printing business from home with her husband.

The deputy mayoress will be Cllr Carroll’s friend and former borough councillor Carol Goulthorp.

Cllr Carroll said: “I feel it is a great honour to have been chosen to be deputy mayor this year and then mayor next year. I will endeavour to promote what a great place Pendle is to live in.”

Cllr Ahmed, 65, who has been a Pendle councillor for the past 12 years, will be joined by his wife, Azmat, who will be the deputy mayoress.

Through fundraising activities, they will support three charities - Pendleside Hospice, the Royal British Legion Nelson and District Branch and Help For Heroes - during the mayoral year.