BERNIE Coleman has been elected the first chairman of newly constituted Horsforth Parish Council.

And at the council's inaugural meeting at the Mechanics Institute, formal steps were taken to make the council a town council - giving it the right to appoint a mayor.

Coun Coleman (Lib Dem, Brownberrie) said he was delighted to have been elected the c"We are the largest of the new parish councils in Leeds so we are now a town council," said Coun Coleman.

Coun Coleman, the managing director of an iron foundry who lives in Iron Row, has said in order for the council to succeed it would need councillors with experience in running a business.

He said: "We hope to improve Horsforth in the best way we can and any problems brought to us by organisations such as the Horsforth Civic Society will be debated before we get in touch with Leeds City Council."

The meeting lasted more than two hours and the the newly elected councillors chose committees including finance, planning, environment, traffic, parking and law and order.

Fellow Liberal Democrat, Ian Scott, from Brownberrie ward, an accountant and former agent of Horsforth and Pudsey Liberal Democrats, was elected vice-chairman and Independent Geoff Hudson was elected treasurer.

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