The new mayor of Epsom and Ewell had her civic reception at the weekend marking the start of an exciting mayoral year.

The service for Councillor Chris Long was held at St. John’s Church, Stoneleigh, and was attended by Chris Grayling MP, the High Sherriff of Surrey, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the county, and four other mayors from across Surrey.

Speaking after the event, Councillor Long said she is looking forward to the packed year ahead - which will include the borough’s 75th anniversary, the diamond jubilee and the Olympics.

She said: "It is a great honour to be given the privilege of being mayor, especially for this year.

"I am looking forward to meeting residents throughout the borough and in the different areas in Surrey and meeting with people from different backgrounds as it will be interesting to get their views.

"It is an honour to be an ambassador for this beautiful borough. Epsom and Ewell has lovely open spaces, nice people who live here and there is a great deal of community involvement.

"We have some wonderful sports and sports centres and we are still regarded as one of the best boroughs to live in the country."

Councillor Long said she has selected three charities for her mayoral year for which she hopes to raise a lot of money.

She said: "The charities I have chosen are Dyscover, a Surrey based charity that supports people who have lost the ability to speak after suffering a stroke; Phab, a UK wide charity that aims to promote and encourage people of all abilities to come together on equal terms; and the Epsom Racing Staff Welfare charity which was established 12 years ago to improve the welfare and conditions for the racing staff in Epsom."

Councillor Long was first elected as councillor in 1999 for Auriol ward in Stoneleigh - an area she has now represented for 13 years.

Having enjoyed a successful career in the telecommunications industry prior to becoming a councillor, she became involved in local politics after moving to the borough 25 years ago.

She said: "I was brought up in Battersea and family lived in Epsom and Ewell when I was growing up - it was always a great pleasure coming out here, especially to visit Nonsuch Park and Epsom Downs. I promised myself that one day I would live here."