SDLP mayor announced for Derry

The SDLP's Colum Eastwood is to be the new Mayor of Derry.

He was selected at a party convention on Thursday night. The 27-year-old will take over from Sinn Fein's Paul Fleming next month.

He said it was an important year ahead for the city.

"We have the Saville Inquiry being published on 15 June, we have the City of Culture for Derry hopefully being announced," he said.

"It's an important year to get right and I'm glad this is the year I've been chosen to be mayor of the city."

Mr Eastwood has held a number of offices within the party and was elected as a councillor for the Shantallow area in 2005.

He will be the youngest person to have held the office of mayor in Derry and said his selection was a "tremendous honour and great privilege".

"I was inspired to join the SDLP, and to stay involved with the party, due to the leadership of John Hume and Mark Durkan and I will bring the same determination and dedication of public service as them to my new position," he said.