Former councillor Andrew Joy received a gift and a framed certificate from Alton Town Council in recognition of his long service to the town following his retirement from Hampshire County Council.

Alton town mayor Cllr Barbara Tansey made the presentation at a town council meeting on June 10.

Cllr Joy said: “It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve the community in which I live and have been associated with since the 1960s, even the 1950s. My Dad was in the Army, serving in Bordon, and I have lived here on and off since the early 1970s.

“This is my family town. To get embedded in the town, you realise it’s a wonderful opportunity to become part of the furniture, and it’s extraordinarily rewarding. Thank you so much.”