THE MAYOR of Worcester, Councillor David Clark, pledged to play his part in making the city a good place to live, work and play when he addressed guests at his inaugural banquet.

Coun Clark also paid tribute to the leader of the Worcester Wheels charity Sally Ellison who was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

The bus service is a lifeline for the elderly and disabled.

His neighbour Brian Gater, a St Mary's Convent School teacher and pantomime dame, gave a humorous and anecdotal speech at last night's event and highlighted the two Mayoral charities for the year: Marie Curie Cancer Care and Headway Worcester Trust Limited.

He issued a challenge to the council to "make changes for the good of Worcester and to choose carefully".

In reply, Coun Clark said the Mayoralty had been in being in some form since 1227, in earlier years as a High Bailiff and as a Mayoralty itself for 380 years.

He said hoped that it would carry on and the recent modernisation consultation exercise supported this view.