A Suffolk woman has taken on the role her father held twice as she was installed as the new Town Reeve of Bungay.

Jane Vass was made reeve at the annual town meeting at the Fisher Theatre.

She takes on the unique and ancient office that her father, Jack Keightley, held in 1962 and 1979, 

Mrs Vass said: “I am honoured to be asked to take on this role, and I hope I can do it well.

"I think dad would have been proud of me, and mum as well.

"I am certainly looking forward to a busy and memorable year.”

The 67-year-old has been a feoffee of the Bungay Town Trust for four years.

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She was born in Bungay, one of five children, and educated at the primary and secondary modern schools in the town.

After leaving school, she worked at Erie Electronics.

She is married to Paul, and they have three children - Adam, Philip and Amy - and seven grandchildren.

After doing school dinner lady jobs, Mrs Vass trained as a pre-school teacher and took that role at the pre-school at Emmanuel Methodist and United Church - a job she did for 30 years.

She is heavily involved in the Bungay community and is secretary at Emmanuel Church and PA to the Rev Bruno Boldrini.

She is also secretary at the Bungay Royal British Legion Club and the RBL branch.

Other roles include trustee of the Eliza Dreyer Homes and the Falcon Meadow Trust.

For the past two years, she has had the role of Town Recorder, which involves taking pictures of events and happenings in the town, as well as changes to the Bungay townscape and landscape.

Mrs Vass was installed by the outgoing Town Reeve, Terry Reeve, who said he was confident she would fill the role with energy, flair and dignity.