ONE of the region's youngest borough councillors says he is revelling in his new role following the local elections in May.

Councillor Phillip Broughton, 23, was elected to Stockton Borough Council after standing as a Conservative candidate for the town's Grangefield ward.

He is believed to be one of just a handful of councillors under the age of 25 to have represented the borough.

Coun Broughton, who lives in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, said the main reason for him entering local politics was his desire to help people.

He said: "I have always been interested in politics and I want to help people as much as I can.

"Working in customer services, I am used to listening to people's problems and trying to sort them out.

"Being a councillor is a bit different from what I expected, but I'm certainly enjoying it as much as I thought I would."

Coun Broughton is a member of the council's planning committee, a role he was keen to take on.

He said: "I think it's the most interesting committee of all. There are so many contentious issues, and there is always good discussion because of the different views on which way a planning decision should go.

"However, I do feel that planning policies are a bit too rigid sometimes, and do not allow the views of residents to be taken into account as much as I think they should be."

He added that he was in no rush to climb the political ladder.

"I want to take it very cautiously," he said. "In a few years I may want to try and go higher, but right now I am concentrating on doing my best for Grangefield and Stockton."