A hairdresser and former pie shop owner has been elected the new chairman of Morecambe Town Council.
Russell Walsh, who runs Directors Cutz barber shop in Bare and owned Potts Pies in the Lancaster and Morecambe area for 17 years, was voted into the role on Thursday night.
Councillor Walsh, a Morecambe Bay Independent (MBI), was chosen to take the chair for a year, gaining 14 votes against nine for Councillor Claire Cozler of Labour.
Councillor Cozler has been chair for the past 12 months.
Former Morecambe High School pupil Councillor Walsh was elected to the town council in May 2023 and represents Bare North.
At Thursday's meeting, Councillor Walsh was also chosen to represent the town council on a project board for the Frontierland site in Morecambe.
This board will look at securing a partner to work alongside landowners Lancaster City Council to finally develop the former Wild West theme park on land which has been mainly derelict for almost 25 years.
The town council thanked Councillor Cozler for her year as chair.
Also at the meeting, Councillor Geoff Knight of the MBIs was elected vice-chairman of the council.
The MBIs, who are the majority group on the town council, also swept the vote for chairs of the council's committees.


Guys Thatched Hamlet closes suddenly after 46 years
Teenager spared jail for causing death of newborn child in Morecambe
Morecambe Town Council agrees budget and 2.46 per cent rise in Council tax share
Builders of new Lancaster housing development offer £2k cash pot to community groups
Lancaster centre welcomes mayor for opening of new community kitchen
Lancaster shop to close as high street gaming chain faces administration
Jim Bentley returns for second spell as Morecambe FC manager
Ashvir Singh Johal’s reign as Morecambe manager comes to an end
Lancaster writer's ghost story of Morecambe to be voiced by acting legend on Radio 4
Change of name announced for popular Morecambe bar
Opening announced for new Morecambe bistro inside former post office
Health watchdog report shows improvements to services at Royal Lancaster Infirmary
LISTEN: How Leo's Gym is making a difference in memory of young Morecambe boxer
LISTEN: Lancaster set to celebrate Chinese New Year
Lancaster’s Vue Cinema under new ownership
Lancaster city centre car park to close ahead of "catalyst for the development of the Canal Quarter"
Crews tackle commercial building fire in Lancaster
Heritage plaque to mark first Lancaster University site and Gillow factory
Heysham men appear in court in connection with death of cyclist in Morecambe
Fundraiser launched for Heysham family who lost everything in house fire

