HUSBAND and wife councillors have stepped down after more than 90 years of combined service.

John and Eileen Foley came to Swindon from Reading in 1967 before serving for decades on Stratton Parish Council alongside their late son John Jr and daughter-in-law Alison.

Outgoing parish chairman Stuart Leach paid tribute to the Foleys during his opening speech at the annual assembly and presented the family with a bouquet of flowers, two bottles of wine - and a picture of the crystalline trophy they were due to receive that had not yet arrived.

Coun Leach said: “How many people can you name who have volunteered and devoted themselves to public service for 50 years? I can think of only one person - John Foley Sr of course.

“For over 50 years, he has served this community and his name is on the bottom of the chair’s chain. John has served his council since there was just a vision of Grange Leisure and we’re now into its 40th year and the completion of that vision is being achieved. As a family, they’ve devoted themselves selflessly to Stratton St Margaret. John and Eileen are stepping down now and with them go our very best wishes and our heartfelt thanks for their devotion to this community.”

A visibly-moved Mr Foley said: “Looking back over the past 50 years, I don’t know where they’ve gone. It only seems like yesterday that I went into the offices in Meadowcroft, saw Elwyn Thomas the then-clerk who said to me ‘You’ve been elected unopposed, well done.’ We had our meeting in the Kingsdown School library and Arthur Miles and Bill Winton, God rest their souls, were there to greet me.

“I’ve had a very happy time on the parish council, it’s been so lovely, thank you very very much for your kind thoughts, the presentation, and we are going to enjoy that wine, I’ll tell you. I wish all those standing again to be as happy as I am on this council.”

Eileen Foley later told the Adver: "I stood for election because I thought 'If you can't beat them, join them' and won. We''ll be very sad to leave but we think it's time to stop because of our health. We will miss it very much. We'd like to thank everyone for the support they've given us throughout the years."

Both John and Eileen have been Swindon borough councillors and John worked as a county councillor for nine years.