A SERIES of visits has shown the strength of a town's community according to its Mayor.

The Mayor of Newtown, Cllr David Selby, has undertaken a variety of visits and engagements in the town.

They began at Newtown Fire Station for the Fire Cadets passing out parade.

The cadets gave a demonstration of fire fighting before the presentation of their awards.

In his speech Cllr Selby thanked the young people for volunteering a showing a commitment to serving the community.

He said: "You should be proud of your achievements and on behalf of the town I say thank you."

The Mayor also attended the town's police station open day.

He said: "The event was well attended and had plenty for children to enjoy and many organisations provided useful information to all.

"Once again the queue to visit the cells was the longest.

"I would like to thank the police for organising the event and for demonstrating that they are very much at the heart of our community."

This was followed with a visit to the launch of the Men's Shed at Llys Glan yr Afon.

"I learnt about this new venture aiming to bring men together who suffer from isolation and a lack of personal drive", said Cllr Selby.

"They are actively recruiting new members and have a lathe to encourage creative skills.

"The gardens at Llys Glan yr Afon are beautifully maintained by Cultivate, the local charity organisation, and the event was enjoyed by all I met."

The following Sunday, Cllr Selby and his wife Rhiain, joined the Bryn Walking Litter Pickers on one of their regular town litter picks.

More than 20 people joined the event and cleared litter from different areas around the town.

Cllr Selby said: "Trehafren fields received a clear up and I was pleased to see the result, but saddened that four bags of rubbish was our haul.

"One particular concern was the amount of dog mess left in piles of dog bags on the fields. There is only one message that can be given from this - take it home.

"Overall the variety of visits this week showed again how important volunteers are for a vibrant and successful town. Well done to all."