Outgoing Burnley Mayor praises townsfolk for solidarity during 'darkest of times'

Coun. Wajid Khan has now ended his mayoral year, a 12 months like no other as the town grappled with the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Indeed, it has been a year the father-of-two is unlikely to ever get as he was also invested as Lord Khan of Burnley in the House of Lords.

Coun. Khan said: "It has been one of the biggest honours of my life to serve as the Mayor of this fantastic borough.

"In what has been such a challenging year for our town, country and across the globe, both myself and the Mayoress have been humbled by the way people have come together in these unprecedented and challenging times.

"As I depart this amazing role and move onto new endeavours in Westminster, I will always remember this municipal year. Memories that include the devastating fact that we lost so many loved ones but also the fact that in the darkest of times, how we all came together with compassion and worked day and night to support each other, especially vulnerable groups.

"We have all shown remarkable resilience which reflects the best of Burnley."

The Mayoress and her committee are still fund-raising to support charities and community groups working to serve homeless people, food banks and vulnerable groups. You can donate through their Go Fund me page https://justgiving.com/mayor-burnley-charity

Former leader of the council, and fellow Labour councillor, Mark Townsend was made the new Mayor in a ceremony last night.