PERSHORE'S new mayor and the country's longest serving firefighter, Chris Parsons, paid tribute to the hard work of his predecessor Richard Hampton as he accepted his chains of office.

At a mayor-making ceremony last Thursday, coun Parsons told how coun Hampton, aged 80, worked tirelessly for the town during his two years in office.

"Even when he was confined to a hospital bed for some weeks he still insisted that his correspondence was brought to him in the ward," he said.

Before handing over his chains, coun Hampton presented a cheque for £1,000 to the friends of Pershore Cottage Hospital, his nominated charity during his tenure.

Chairman of the friends Tricia Freeman said: "A week ago we presented £10,000 to the cottage hospital for them to buy chairs and mattresses for patients to prevent bedsores. To have a cheque like this is marvellous and now we can go on another spending spree."

Coun Parsons nominated his wife, Jan, as his mayoress for this coming term.

He named two charities to support during his time in office, Pershore Relief in Sickness, which raises money to buy equipment for the town's district nurses, and Acorn's Children's Hospice, which cares for children with life-threatening illnesses.

He also named the curate of Pershore Abbey, the Rev David Owen, as chaplain to the town council.