BREIGHTMET councillor, Lynda Byrne has been sworn in as the new Mayor of Bolton.

Cllr Byrne was inaugurated into the key civic role during a ceremony in Bolton Town Hall, attended by her friends, family and council colleagues.

In taking on the role of Bolton’s first citizen for 2016/17, the Labour councillor makes history as part of the first husband and wife partnership to both wear the civic chains — her husband John’s year in office was in 2010.

It is also the first time a woman has held the office for two consecutive years — Smithills councillor, Carole Swarbrick ended her year as mayor this week.

Putting forward the motion for Cllr Byrne to become Bolton’s 43rd Mayor, Astley Bridge councillor Hilary Fairclough told the story of how the 63-year-old grandmother of five grew up in a Bolton toy shop and met husband John when the pair were just teenagers.

She mentioned another historic first for Cllr Byrne — when she became the first female and first Labour councillor to be elected in the Tory heartland of Bradshaw in 1994.

Cllr Fairclough said: “So in Cllr Byrne we have a first class mother and wife and the first husband and wife mayoral team.

“We have the first woman councillor in Bradshaw and the first female mayor to succeed another.

She added: “So I feel sure that she is eminently qualified to be the new first citizen of Bolton.”

Cllr Byrne, who has appointed her husband John as her mayoral consort for the year and has chosen voluntary work as her theme, said: “I am so thrilled to my family and friends and council colleagues here to see me take my first steps as mayor.

“I have lived in Bolton all of my life and have the highest regard for all that the town has achieved.

“I am delighted that my husband John has agreed to be my consort for the year — we do a lot of voluntary work and that is why I have chosen that as my mayoral theme.

“It is the volunteers in Bolton who make this town such a good place to live and raise our children.”

She added: “Myself and John are looking forward to carrying out all of our mayoral duties and will do our best to show that we are worthy of the faith and trust placed upon us.”

Thanks were also given to Lib Dem, Cllr Swarbrick who now takes on the role of Deputy Mayor for the year.

She said: “It has been an enormous honour and privilege to wear the mayoral chain and to be its custodian for one year in its long history.

“Thank you to you all and to the wider Bolton family.”