THE man preparing to take over as Bolton’s first citizen has opted for not one — but two mayoresses.

Cllr Martin Donaghy will become mayor in May after he was nominated by Bolton Council colleagues — but he has vowed to keep his day job.

The 56-year-old works at the Sainsbury’s superstore in Trinity Street, and has asked two of his co-workers — Gay Wharton, aged 51, from Heaton, and Jacqueline Tracey, aged 53, from Little Lever — to be his mayoresses for the year.

Cllr Donaghy, who represents Tonge with The Haulgh ward, said: “It’s a great honour — I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’m looking forward to being an ambassador for the town. I’m very proud of Bolton, it’s my adopted town and I want to do as well as I can for the town.

“I wanted Gay and Jacqueline to share in my mayoral year — I felt it was a great opportunity to bring something different to the mayoral table.

“They aren’t political animals like the rest of us and they will bring their own style and way of doing things.”

Cllr Donaghy came to Bolton in 1974 from the village of Bessbrook in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, to work as an engineering apprentice for Roberts Filling Machines on Derby Street.

In the same year, he joined the engineering union and in 1980 was elected to Bolton Council for the Daubhill ward, where he served for 18 years.

He was elected again in 2012, by which time he was working in Sainsbury’s in the news and magazines section. He is also a governor for Firwood School, Bolton Parish Church CE Primary School and Clarendon Primary School.

Mrs Wharton said she was thrilled to be asked to be Mayoress.

The grandmother-of-two said: “It was quite a shock, and we’re very excited.

“It’s not something we could actually wish for that would come true. It’s such an honour.”