THE first British National Party councillor to take up office in a mayoral role has confirmed his wife, who is a BNP borough and county councillor, will be his mayoress.

John Cave took up office as deputy mayor for Padiham Town Council following a town hall ceremony and announced Sharon Wilkinson would be his mayoress.

Coun Wilkinson represents the BNP in the Hapton with Park ward of Burnley Borough Council and Padiham and Burnley West seat for Lancashire County Council.

It is expected that in a year’s time Coun Cave will move up into the role of full mayor for the town.

On accepting the chains of office he said: “This is an unexpected honour and a privilege and for that I have got to thank those councillors who supported me in this appointment.

“I will do my best to support this year’s mayor Coun Bob Clark and will learn from him the duties of office.

“I will be assisted by my wife Sharon who will is looking forward to being deputy mayoress.”

Coun Cave was voted in as deputy mayor at a town council meeting in April, when nine of the 11 councillors supported him, with two abstaining.

The appointment made national headlines with Coun Cave thought to be the first BNP member to take on the mayoral chains in the country.

At the time of his nomination he said the town council was non-political and that politics did “not come into it,” and his political affiliations were “irrelevant”.

But the nomination was criticised at the time by the Bishop of Burnley John Goddard and the Hope Not Hate campaign, which claims to expose the BNP.