AN emotional Andrew Roberts was sworn in today as the 755th mayor of Salisbury in a ceremony at St Thomas's Church attended by more than 250 dignitaries and guests.

The Independent leader of Salisbury City Council takes over from Jo Broom and will support the Stars Appeal during his mayoral year.

He said: "I would like to thank my fellow members for entrusting me with this honour for the forthcoming year.

"I would would also like to thank the people of Bemerton, Fisherton and St Paul's because without them I would not have been elected in the first place."

The Stars Appeal Breast Cancer Unit Campaign is supported by the Journal and is currently aiming to raise £750,000 for a dedicated breast cancer unit.

Cllr Roberts added: "The aim is to get the appeal across the line with its major appeal for creating a breast cancer unit, improving the experience for people going through a very difficult time.

"The other thing is to support the many other projects that the stars appeal does, it is a charity that constantly works on all sorts of things across the hospital in virtually every department."

The new mayor moved to South Wiltshire in 1977 and was educated at Bishop Wordsworth's School before going on to study law at Cambridge. He was until recently managing partner at the law firm Wilsons.

Elected onto the now defunct Salisbury District Council in 2007 as a Labour candidate he served as the cabinet member for finance until the Wiltshire Unitary Authority was created in 2009.

Cllr John Walsh paid tribute to him at the ceremony: "He has become an excellent leader of the council. I am sure he will make a fine mayor in the upcoming year."

Also confirmed at the annual meeting was that Cllr Derek Brown will be the deputy mayor for the upcoming year whilst Rev Canon David Linaker, Rector of St Thomas’s Church, will be the mayor’s chaplain.