Verwood Town Council has appointed Cllr Reverend Julian Macro JP as the new town Mayor.

He’ll serve for 2024/2025 representing Verwood and Three Legged Cross, replacing Cllr Toni Coombs who was elected Deputy Mayor at the public event last night.

The Lake Road resident grew up and went to school in Wimbledon and then studied at universities in Wales and Oxford, taking degrees in Classics and Theology.

Following Ordination he served as Minister of United Reformed Churches in Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Berkshire.

He moved with his wife Dorothy to Verwood in 2005 and now serves on a number of Church and Charity boards.

He was appointed a JP at the age of 28 and served as a Magistrate and in related roles with the Probation and Prison services. Cllr Julian has also been a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of a Housing Association with some 10,000 homes.

His charities this year will be the Trussell Trust working within Verwood and the Samaritans.