Sheringham's new mayor says he is confident the town council is in a good position to 'move forward together' after taking over the role following the resignation of his predecessor because of a lack of support.

Retired firefighter Mark Hill, who was deputy mayor for two-and-a-half years before being elected mayor a few weeks ago, claimed divisions among councillors were no more than a 'hiccup' and that the council was wholly committed to working together for the good of the town.

'Yes, we have had our problems,' he said. 'But I will simply try to do my best for the town I've lived in all my life and of which I am extremely proud.'

Sheringham-born Mr Hill, who attended Sheringham Primary School and Paston Grammar School, trained as a mechanical engineer with a Cromer firm before joining Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service in 1975.

He worked out of Sprowston fire station for three decades and joined Sheringham crew as a retained firefighter the day after he retired in May 2005.

A long-serving committee member of Sheringham in Bloom and a member of the now defunct community support group Helping Hands, Mr Hill, who now works part-time at a local funeral directors, was elected as a town councillor nine years ago.

'It was something that was important to me as I feel very fortunate to live in such a wonderful town,' he said. 'Sheringham has great shops and amenities, good travel links and attractions and we have many fantastic events thanks to the support and dedication of some amazing volunteers.'

The council was now working on taking forward a number of smaller projects, he added, including installing a war memorial at the town cemetery commemorating the 14 civilians the town lost in the Second World War, installing a bus stop near the Cromer Road Tesco store, and introducing a new signage initiative aimed at removing superfluous signs and increasing signage directing shoppers and visitors to lesser-used parts of the town, such as Church Street.

Thanking his deputy Madeleine Ashcroft, town council staff and his fellow councillors for their support, Mr Hill, 63, said: 'I am honoured to be elected mayor and I know that as a council, we will continue to work together for the town, as we always have done in the past.'