IT was a year of tragedy for outgoing Mayor of Didcot Des Healy.

Town councillor Mr Healy stepped up to his post a week before three residents were slaughtered in their home, and is leaving while the bodies of three men are still being recovered from wreckage at Didcot Power Station.

But he said he had been overwhelmed by support during challenging times.

Just a week after his mayor-making ceremony last May, Mr Healy was thrust into the national limelight after Janet Jordon, 48, Derrin Jordon, aged six, and Phillip Howard, 44, were murdered in their home.

Mr Healy, who moved to Didcot from Glasgow in 1972 to work at Didcot Power station, said: "I was at my first engagement in Oxford when I got the news of the three murders in Vicarage Road.

"I came back to a complete media sandstorm and within four days I had done eight TV interviews and eight radio interviews when I had only be elected as mayor for a week.

"There was a lot of misinformation that Didcot was a town under lock down and people were too frightened to leave their homes.

"It was my job to make it clear that could not have been further from the truth."

Tragedy struck the town again in February when half of the boiler house at the decommissioned Didcot Power Station collapsed, killing one demolition worker and

trapping three other men.

Mr Healy added: "The tragedy at Didcot A Power Station has touched the hearts of the people of Didcot greatly.

"I cannot begin to thank all the people who supported me and all the kind words expressed by residents and other mayors across the country."

Despite the challenges, Mr Healy said he had loved being involved in the community and was delighted with the generosity of residents for his two charities.

He said: "I specifically chose the Royal British Legion Didcot branch because the town has such strong links with the military.

"I not only wanted to help raise funds for them but the veterans are not getting any younger and we need younger ex-servicemen to join and help those who have waved the banner for so long."

As his second mayoral charity Mr Healy chose Didcot-based South and Vale Carers which supports those who care for friends or relatives.

Didcot's mayor-elect Steve Connel will be the youngest to hold the role in the town's history.

The 34-year-old who lives in Ladygrove said: "There are three things I'm really looking forward to when I become mayor, the first is my two charities, Tuberous Sclerosis Association and South and Vale Carers.

"Secondly we have seen the work carried out by previous mayors, Axel Macdonald, Tony Harbour and of course, Des, where they have played a huge role in helping to promote Didcot.

"If I can use my position to help local charities and members of the community to be recognised, I will consider my time as mayor as a success."

Mr Connel will become the town's mayor during the annual meeting on Monday, May 9.