Tenby toy-shop owner Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas has been elected to serve as Mayor of the town for the second time.

Clr. Mrs. Thomas was the unanimous choice to serve as the town's First Citizen for a second time on Tuesday night, having first held the post in 1997.

The daughter of the late Trevor and Clarice Lloyd-Jones, Clr. Mrs. Thomas is the fourth in her lineage to hold the post of Mayor.

Born in Frog Street, 61-year-old Clr. Mrs. Thomas attended Tenby Junior and Greenhill Grammar Schools before training as a teacher at Shenstone Training College, Kidderminster.

After a short time teaching at Saundersfoot Junior School, she joined the staff of the newly-opened Greenhill Comprehensive in 1961, remaining there for three years until the birth of her daughter Kerri.

She then left teaching to join her husband, Tenby town crier John Thomas, in their toy and art supplies shop in Upper Frog Street.

Clr. Mrs. Thomas also has a son, Ian, and six grandchildren.

She was elected to the town council in 1987 and is a long-standing member of the Campaign for Action on Tenby Cottage Hospital and the town's Chamber of Trade and Tourism.

She is also well-known for her acting talents, having joined Tenby Players in 1969.

In time honoured tradition at Tuesday night's meeting of the town council, current Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown, asked her fellow councillors in turn if they wished to be Mayor for 2003/04, with only Clr. Mrs. Thomas expressing a desire to stand.

Clr. Mrs. Brown was delighted to propose that Clr. Mrs. Thomas become Mayor-elect for her "undying enthusiasm and hard work for the town."

She was seconded by Clr. Mrs. Maureen Ward and the proposal was unanimously backed by fellow members.

Clr. Mrs. Thomas will don the scarlet robes of office at the traditional Mayor-making ceremony on May 9.