THE mayor of a Tyne Valley town has announced she is to stand in the forthcoming county council elections.

Tracy Gilmore has served on Prudhoe Town Council since 2017 and has acted as mayor for the past three years. She now intends to stand for Prudhoe North in the Northumberland County Council local elections on May 6.

It comes as long-serving Conservative seat holder Ken Stow announced he would not stand for re-election.

He said: “I feel privileged to have represented Prudhoe North since 2017, but I have decided not to stand for re-election due to work commitments. I am delighted that Tracy is our candidate. She is so hardworking and popular and will make a fantastic county councillor.”

“The last year has been incredibly tough for our town,” said Tracy. “Coronavirus has changed so much, but across Prudhoe we have seen people come together to support the most vulnerable – from offering help to neighbours, to signing up to be vaccine volunteers. I am proud of Prudhoe and it’s been an honour to have played my part as mayor in helping the community respond, working closely with Gordon Stewart, the county councillor for Prudhoe South.

“I have lived in Prudhoe all my life and I’m proud to own my own small business in the town. I am involved in many local organisations including trustee of Cycling Without Age, an active flood warden, a member of the Front Street Working Group, a puppy walker and I’m a speaker for Guide Dogs For The Blind. I was also involved in the creation of the Prudhoe Youth Project which now runs successfully in the town.

“As we start to think about rebuilding from the pandemic, we cannot simply rebuild what we have lost, we’ve got to do things better. I would like to ask you about the local issues that matter to you and to see if you would like my help.”