Hastings’ Mayor Nigel Sinden and his deputy James Bacon will have an additional year in their current roles.

Councillor Sinden’s tenure as Mayor would normally have ended at Hastings Borough Council’s (HBC) annual meeting in May and as is the tradition Councillor Bacon would have stepped up in to the principal role after two years as deputy.

However the Coronavirus crisis and lockdown has thrown tradition and routine out of the window.

Elections for half of the seats on HBC were also scheduled for May but were cancelled while other council business has been dealt with under emergency powers.

All that means Councillors Sinden and Bacon stay in their current ceremonial positions, a spokesman for HBC confirmed this morning: “Both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are staying in their current positions for a further year.”