Mother and son's election history

Conservative councillors Sandra Daniells and Adam Cunard have became the first of those pairings in the local authority's 23-year history.

They are almost certainly the first since councils were established in Bognor in 1894.

At 20, Mr Cunard is the youngest member of the town council. It is doubtful if a younger councillor has ever sat around the council chamber table in the town hall. Mrs Daniells (46), of Sutherland Close, said: "I know it is quite unusual to see a mother and son elected at the same time.

'Adam has been always been interested in politics. He has been coming to election counts since he was 12.

"Even though he is young, he is a lot more involved in politics than many older people who have been elected.

"Hopefully, people will not judge him on his age but judge him on his performance."

Mrs Daniells has been the Conservatives' lone member of the town council for the past couple of years. She was elected in a mid-term by-election.

She has been joined by four Tory colleagues following last Thursday's polling '“ Eileen Anderson, Simon Fyfe and Jo Walker besides her son. She said she looked forward to working with the majority Liberal Democrats to produce the best results for Bognor following the drop in Labour's share of the vote.

"I think people just want to see a change," she said. "Hopefully, the new council will work together to fulfil our election promises. Our focus will be on the town's regeneration.

'We want to get things moving so that, by the next elections in four years' time, we can see real results." Mr Cunard is trustee director of the Arun Arts charity which runs the Hotham Arts Centre of which he is the general manager.

He is also in overall charge of the Picturedrome cinema taken on by Arun Arts last month.