MARCUS Hart has been voted the new leader of Wyre Forest District Council.

The Conservative councillor and former deputy leader of the authority was installed at a meeting tonight - which was called after previous leader councillor John Campion stepped down 13 days ago.

He was the only person standing for the position and received 24 votes for, six against and eight abstentions from the 38 councillors in the council chamber at Wyre Forest House.

Mr Hart’s first move as leader was to install fellow Tory councillor Nathan Desmond as deputy leader and Mr Campion as cabinet member for economic prosperity. Other cabinet positions remain the same.

Fellow councillors including Liberals Fran Oborski and Mike Price and Labour’s Howard Martin paid tribute to the former leader and wished him well for the future.