FORMER engineer Dave Banks says he feels "so honoured" after being appointed as the new mayor of St Helens.

The Earlestown councillor was sworn in to the town's most prominent ambassadorial role at a ceremony at on Wednesday afternoon (May 18) taking the gold chain from predecessor Steve Glover.

Cllr Banks, 64, was born in Haydock and moved to Newton-le-Willows in 1973. He attended Blackbrook Primary School and then St Anselm's. A sports lover, he was the town's table tennis champion aged 16 and met wife Jeanette, a Haydock councillor, at a Manchester United supporters' dance who he married in 1973. They have two children, Catherine and Michael.

Cllr Banks studied engineering at St Helens College, serving a five year apprenticeship with CSI on the Parr industrial estate. He worked briefly for Simon Vicars in Earlestown before joining Locker Air Maze in Warrington - where he eventually became works engineering manager.

For the last 12 years of his career he worked as Estates Manager and Health and Safety Officer at Wargrave House School - a residential school for autistic students, retiring last year.

David has also held various positions in engineering unions, including the AEU, MFS Union and secretary of the Merseyside Occupational Health and Safety Group. He was first elected as a councillor 12 years ago.

After being sworn in Cllr Banks said: "I feel so honoured and privileged to have been asked to become mayor.

"I have lived all my life in the borough and I can't think of any greater honour than to represent my town as mayor.

"I would like to thank Steve and his wife for all the hard work they have done in successfully representing St Helens and know it's been hard work. I hope we can do as well."

He added: “Jeanette and I know it will be a busy year, but the events, meetings and presentations that we will be attending will all be valuable opportunities to highlight the tremendous efforts that so many people make on behalf of so many others. We’re really looking forward to the next 12 months.”

Cllr Banks has chosen St Helens-based Jenson's Twinkle Stars, which provides bereavement services to children and families throughout the North West as his mayoral charity. It was set up in memory of stillborn Jenson Rigby who passed away in 2011.

Billinge councillor Joe Pearson was also named deputy mayor at the ceremony.