Calne town clerk Linda Roberts will be become president of the Society of Local Council Clerks in October after being chosen for the position by clerks across the country.

Mrs Roberts has been deputy clerk at Calne Town Council for nine years and town clerk since 2007. She also teaches part of a long-distance learning course in community governance.

She will open and close the society’s national conference and will be an ambassador for the society, as well as Calne Town Council itself.

Mrs Roberts said: “It’s actually the highest accolade that can be bestowed on a clerk. It’s a real honour, it means the council has been recognised as being forward-thinking and proactive.

“Obviously it’s good kudos for Calne. Your peers actually nominate you and my proposal was unanimous, so that was really nice as well.

“My council has given me unanimous support. Even though I don’t need their support, I felt it was proper that they were aware of the obligations that would fall on me.

“I have just got to get my head down and get through 12 months of sheer hard work, because I still have to do my day job.”

There are around 9,000 town and parish councils throughout the country, although not all of these are members of the Society of Local Council Clerks.

Mrs Roberts, who plans to keep a diary of everything she does, said: “What’s really nice is the national conference this year is at Bristol, so we’re having a Wiltshire flag, we’re taking green and white bunting, so it will be a real celebration.

“There will be quite a contingent from Wiltshire.”