The Liberal Democrat candidate in next year’s mayoral election has vowed to be the town’s “biggest champion”.

Dorothy Thornhill has been the first directly elected Mayor of Watford since 2002.

However, she is standing down next year, although she will continue to be a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, after joining in 2015.

Lib Dems in Watford have since chosen Peter Taylor, who has been the deputy mayor since last year as well as a councillor for the Oxhey Ward, to stand as her successor next May.

The 37-year-old, who worked as a teacher in a sixth form in Harrow before also becoming a councillor in 2012, says he will focus on improving some of the services in Watford.

He said: “I have been the deputy for quite a while now and think the Lib Dems have a great record for delivering services around Watford.

“As Mayor, I will prioritise making sure we have great local services such regular bin collections and will look after the parks.

“I will also make sure we keep council tax low and support the Met Line expansion and services at Watford General Hospital, along with improving congestion on the roads and providing better transport links.

“The mayor has got to be the biggest advocate for the town and I know I could be Watford’s biggest champion, as I want to see improvements being made to ensure the town keeps running smoothly and efficiently.”

Mr Taylor moved to Oxhey as he found it to be “an incredibly friendly place” and wanted to bring his children up in a nice town.

He believes the role of the mayor is a full-time commitment, as it involves helping with issues every day.

He added: “It is all about making an effort with the little things that really make a big difference to improving a town.

“The mayor has got to be someone who knows Watford and wants to make changes to the local issues.

“The role is not the kind of thing you can get involved with lightly, as you have to deal with people’s issues every single day of the week.”