Nailsea Town Council welcomes new councillors - including a belly dancer

Nailsea Town Council has co-opted two new

councillors – a belly-dancing solicitor and a former chairman with an MBE.

Saeeda Jameel and Neil Middleton were

elected by councillors to serve for the next four years.

In total seven candidates put their names

forward and were invited to make a presentation on Wednesday evening, July 6.

The others were Chris Ambrose, Sandra

Heard, Julia Latta, Jackie Lucas and John Phillips.

Mr Middleton who was awarded an MBE for

voluntary services to further education n the Queen's 2010 birthday list had

previously been a town councillor for 15 years.

Although he resigned in 2007 he maintained

contact through the town council planning sub-committee and helped draft

documents spelling out future aspirations for the town.

Mr Middleton said: "I am committed to the

on-going development of Nailsea and its community."

Mrs Jameel who teaches Egyptian dance in

Nailsea and Clevedon is vice-chairman of governors at Grove Junior School.

She is currently taking a career break to

be a full-time mum.

Mrs Jameel said: "It is important to care

about the community because then it has the potential to thrive."

At the May district, town and parish

elections Nailsea failed to attract its full quota of 20 people wanting to be

town councillors.

Town council chairman Rod Lees thanked

everyone who had put their name forward for cooption saying it was a very

strong field and a close run vote.

He hoped those who were unsuccessful this

time would try for the vacant seat created by the resignation of councillor

Anne Kemp.

Mrs Kemp was forced to resign because of a

clash in committee times in her role on the district council.

Election procedure only allowed two people

to be co-opted at the meeting as the West End Ward vacancy has to be

advertised.

An election will have to be called if at

least 10 electors from this ward send a written request to the Returning

Officer, Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ.