THE town clerk of Moreton Town Council has stepped down after 10 years in office to pursue other interests.

Heather Sipthorp said she had thoroughly enjoyed her 10 years at the council but felt it was time for a change.

"There are family business interests I am going to get involved with," she said. “I have worked with some amazing people over the years, who have strived hard on behalf of the town that they live in. They do it on a voluntary basis and put their heart and soul into it.

“I wish them luck because the town is expanding and there is a lot of development in Moreton."

Mrs Sipthorp, who lives just outside Moreton-in-Marsh, said she had always had a soft spot for town and will miss her role.

Council chairman Tom Lewis praised Mrs Sipthorp for her efforts on behalf of the people of Moreton.

"What she doesn’t know about Moreton isn’t worth knowing," he said. "She is still helping out in the interim to ensure a smooth transition.”

Mrs Sipthorp’s successor, who took over last Wednesday, is Katherine Noble, who lives near Tewkesbury and was previously a personal assistant with West Oxfordshire District Council in Witney. Miss Noble has been clerk with a number of parishes in the Tewkesbury area but the Moreton-based job is her first town council role.