ST DAVIDS has welcomed its new mayor, Cllr Bira Sehmi, the first Sikh to be elected as Mayor not only in St Davids probably in Wales.

Cllr Sehmi was born in Nairobi, Kenya and was educated in Nairobi and London. He worked in various well-known international architects' practices in London, Surrey, and Hampshire

He has been visiting St Davids since the mid 1960s and married a local farmer's daughter, the Mayoress, Sylvia Sehmi.

The couple moved back to the city in 2010 and Cllr Sehmi was elected to the city council in 2017.

A keen cricketer, Cllr Sehmi is also a committee member of St Davids Community Forum, the city's Memory Cafe, Friends of Oriel y Parc and St Davids Historical Society

"It is a great honour to have been elected as mayor and my wife Sylvia as mayoress of St Davids City Council, the smallest city in Great Britain," said Cllr Sehmi.

"This has come at an exceedingly difficult period during the Covid-19 epidemic. I will endeavour to do my best to serve the local community during this challenging time.

"During this epidemic, the local community has shown its strength and agility in helping those who needed the most help in whatever way they could."

Cllr Sehmi thanked all the volunteers of St Davids Befrienders, the councillors and volunteers in helping with the St Davids Food Pod in the City Hall for the local needy families and to key workers.

"I extend my warmest thanks to all the NHS and all the related medical staff, supporting people from various walks of profession and life who have been working extremely hard to keep us going during this epidemic," he said.

"My condolences go to all those people who lost their loved ones to this awful Covid-19."

Cllr Sehmi said he looked forward to getting back to some sort of normality soon to kick start the local tourist industry and other businesses who have faced an uncertain and difficult time.

He also thanked his predecessor, Cllr Mike Chant and Mayoress Sue Chant;

"Thanks for all the valuable community work they did and contributed over the last two years," he said.

"Who can forget the singing mayor as seen on TV?"