Mayor of Stamford Kelham Cooke will be joined by mayoress Lois Simpson

Stamford is to have a new mayoress - and in a break with tradition, she’s not married to the mayor.

At a meeting in the town hall on Tuesday, recently elected mayor of Stamford Kelham Cooke announced he would like his ‘best friend’ Lois Simpson to join him at civic events during the year ahead.

Thirty-three-year-old Coun Cooke told members of the town council: “Because we’re not married, she is not allowed to wear the mayoress’s chain. I hope members feel modern enough to change this.”

All bar one of the councillors present voted in favour of allowing Lois to wear the mayoress’s chain at forthcoming civic events.

Coun Marion Pitt, who was deputy mayor of Stamford up until May 2, abstained.

Lois is an associate director of King West chartered surveyors in St Mary’s Street, Stamford.

She is expected to join Coun Cooke at programmed events such as the D-Day commemoration at Stamford Recreation Ground on Thursday evening, the Battle of Britain Parade in September, Remembrance Day, the Christmas lights switch-on, and the opening of next year’s Mid-Lent Fair.

The mayor and mayoress are also likely to represent the town as invited guests to charity and business events during the year.

Coun Cooke, a Conservative coucnillor, was the elected leader of South Kesteven District Council from July 2019 to May last year.

He was first elected as a South Kesteven District Councillor in 2011, at the age of 20.