EXMOUTH mayor, Darryl Nicholas, is among the top five young councillors in the country following an awards ceremony.

EXMOUTH mayor, Darryl Nicholas, is among the top five young councillors in the country following an awards ceremony.

He was in the top five of the Local Government Association award which recognises a councillor who was under 30 when elected and who has contributed significantly to their community - the top award went to Councillor Carla Butler of Newhaven.

With the average age of councillors being 59, the award ceremony at the Emirates Stadium in London with speakers Rt Hon John Denham MP, Caroline Spelman MP and Julia Goldsworthy MP was set up to recognise that young people face an uphill struggle to get elected.

He said: "It was nice to be nominated and it proved to be an extremely interesting day.

"The spirit of localism was a thread running through the talks given by the three key-note speakers, and as a believer in local residents having more power over their community it was heartening to hear.

"From an Exmouth point of view it would seem that our levels of community engagement are streets ahead of what I was hearing coming out of delegates from many other towns and cities.

"Initiatives such as our successful and increasingly important Community Liaison Panel, together with the level of consultation built into our upcoming town centre master planning process just go to show how important the voice of the community is in building Exmouth's future.

"Credit therefore has to be given to the Town Council and our local community groups for their ability to work together in a constructive, inclusive and innovative way.'