Women elected as Derry and Strabane mayor and deputy for first time

Cara Hunter (left) and Michaela Boyle are the first two women to serve in the top roles at the same time since the council was formed

Derry City and Strabane District Council has elected women as both mayor and deputy mayor for the first time.

Sinn Féin councillor Michaela Boyle took the mayoral chain from her predecessor John Boyle of the SDLP on Monday night.

The SDLP's Cara Hunter, who was elected as a councillor for the first time this month, is the new deputy mayor.

It is the first time since the creation of the council in 2015 that two women have held the roles in the same year.

Ms Boyle said she would use her year as first citizen to promote "inclusivity and provide civic leadership", tackle stigma about mental health and provide a strong voice for women.

She said she hoped to "attract jobs, infrastructure and investment and to maximise the economic potential of the region".

"We need to build on the foundations of existing collaborations in health, education and infrastructure," she added.

"One of the key projects, which is an essential lifeline for addressing the infrastructural deficit west of the Bann and for reinforcing connections, is the A5 road project."

Other projects planned for the north-west area needed to be delivered "in order to open up the entire... region and bring benefits on an all-island basis".

Ms Boyle is a former chair of Strabane District Council, which merged with Derry City Council as part of the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland in 2015.

She is an MLA for West Tyrone but is being replaced in that office by former Derry and Strabane mayor Maolíosa McHugh.

Ms Hunter, the new deputy mayor, is a recent journalism graduate who is new to politics.

She is one of 10 new councillors who were elected to the north-west area's council this month.