A FORMER council leader is gearing up for his eleventh borough council election.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Marks will be bidding to retain his Lymm North and Thelwall borough council seat at the all-out elections on May 6.

The politician has contested 10 borough council elections to date, along with standing as a general election candidate in Warrington South in 1983, 1987 and 2005.

Cllr Marks said: “I first became a councillor in 1979 when I was elected to Lymm Parish Council.

“Since then, I have stood in 10 borough council elections and three general elections.”

Cllr Marks was the leader of the council between 2006 and 2011.

He added: “My favourite election memory was in 2006 when I realised we had won enough seats for Labour to lose control at the Town Hall.

“We were just short of an absolute majority but for five years I led a very successful shared administration. I am very proud of all our achievements.

“The May elections will be very interesting and Covid has changed the rules.

“People will vote for hard-working sitting councillors or for new candidates who are active in their communities.

“Liberal Democrats have shown they can run the council and would welcome a larger role in the future.”