Chamber of Commerce new president

Two of the last three presidents of the organisation have been partners from the legal firm which has a branch in Eversley Road.

Richard said: "I follow the long tradition of Gaby Hardwicke's being involved with the Chamber '“ for instance David Getty.

"As president I just want to continue the good work of my predecessors in fighting for the interests of our members and promoting Bexhill.

He added: "I think these are difficult times in the global economy and so it is more important than ever that we focus on the local economy, doing business with each other, and promoting Bexhill as a great place to work and live."

Richard, who has worked locally for 10 years, said of the Chamber: "We are an organisation that exists to promote business and tourism, and that is what we do...We have just had the Anglo-French market, and events coming up include the Christmas lights switch-on and late night shopping."