ONE of the country’s youngest town councillors has explained why he will stand down ahead of next Thursday’s (May 3) elections.

Tom Bletsoe was 18 when he was elected as councillor for St Ives last February after Rosemary Paget-Crowe stepped down in December 2010.

The indepedent councillor said he was not seeking re-election as he could not commit to four further years.

He told The Hunts Post: “I’m not sure whether I’ll still be in St Ives for that long. It could be the whole four years, it could just be three months. I don’t want to let the people of St Ives down by being around for them for only a few months and then asking them to vote again later and, when I saw there were 17 independents ready to commit for the full term, I thought it would be fairer if I didn’t stand.”

Cllr Bletsoe, now 19, added: “I have enjoyed my time on the council and canvassing before the election as it gave me the opportunity to meet loads of people.”

The teenager celebrated his election win in April last year with a surprise fancy-dress party in his Green Leys home, but his neighbours were not so impressed and complained to the police.

“I don’t regret the party – it was probably one of the best St Ives has ever seen – but it wasn’t great that it reflected badly on the town council, and for that I am sorry,” he said. “Since then I have always been aware that my actions are not just my own, but those of the town council as well.”

n As well as elections for St Ives Town Council there will also be elections in Huntingdon (East) for the town council, Godmanchester and Pidley-cum-Fenton,

District council elections are also taking place in the following wards: Brampton; Godmanchester; Huntingdon East; Huntingdon North; Ramsey; Sawtry; Somersham; St Ives East; St Ives West; St Neots Eaton Ford; St Neots Eaton Socon; St Neots Eynesbury; The Hemingfords; Warboys and Bury; and

Yaxley and Farcet.