British man for mayor

FOR the first time ever in the history of the Balearic Islands, a British man has been elected as the mayor of a small town in Mallorca. Fifty ­ two ­ year ­ old, Richard Thompson and his wife, settled in Mallorca nine years ago, is now the mayor of Sant Joan, according to a news source.

Sant Joan has a population of around 2,000 people and sits in the centre of Mallorca. However, it has found itself in the news recently due to its new British mayor.

Mr Thompson originally hails from West Sussex, where he worked as a teacher. Although married to a native of Sant Joan, Richard is not a Spanish citizen, but his resident status was enough for him to serve on the council and qualify to run as a mayoral candidate.

Despite his appointment being a first for the islands, he will not be the first British person to occupy mayoral status in Spain.

In 2008, the Costa Blanca saw Briton, Mark Lewis, become mayor of a small town following the arrest of a number of corrupt councillors. And in Leon, Briton, Carmen McPhee, became mayor of a farming village some 10 years ago.