A WOMAN who has spent half her life running a nursery has been elected as Pontypool’s newest community councillor.

Lisa Jones, who was the Welsh Labour candidate, won the election to represent the vacant Cwmynyscoy ward on the volunteer council.  She said working at Osborne Lodge Nursery, in Osborne Road, where she has been the manager for 25 years had inspired her to get further involved with the community.

“It’s all totally new to me, it’s not something I’ve ever done before but something I’ve had an interest in the last few years,” said the 50-year-old who is married with one adult daughter.

“In the nursery we take the children out and do litter picking and looking after the community is something we teach the children. The opportunity then came up and I like to be involved in the community and help people, that’s my aim.”

In the Thursday October 12 election, Ms Jones won 80 votes which was almost double the 43 cast for Welsh Conservative candidate Stephen Templeton.

There are 21 seats on the community council with Labour now holding 19 and the Conservatives two.  The by-election was called after Labour councillor John Killick resigned from the council this summer.