LONG-SERVING Tory councillor Brian Hook has become chairman of Oxfordshire County Council with Liberal Democrat Harry Wyatt as vice- chairman.

Mr Hook took over yesterday from David Buckle, the Labour councillor who has done the job since May, 1996.

He described Mr Buckle as a hard act to follow, and said: "I have a major problem. I'm following an outstanding chairman who has been fair and impartial and led from the front - but then he was a Royal Marine."

Mr Hook said the themes of his time in office would be enterprise and the encouragement of pioneering ideas in any field from caring to commerce, to education or the environment.

The leaders of all four political groups on the county council paid fulsome tribute to Mr Buckle. Standing down, he thanked councillors and officers for their support, thanked Mr Norman Matthews, the Conservative vice-chairman of the council for the past year, and made special mention of his wife.

New chairm

Mr Hook, who represents Cumnor, has been the Tory group's environmental spokesman for three year's and group chairman for the last year.

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