Dawn Huggins has been elected as the new Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. She takes up the post alongside Deputy Mayor Sandra Hunter, who represents the Ulster Unionist Party. The pair form the council's first all-female mayoral team.

Cllr Huggins, from Dunamanagh in County Tyrone, was first elected to the council three years ago as a Democratic Unionist Party representative. She indicated she had not expected to assume the mayoralty so soon after entering local politics.

Before her council work, she served for 28 years in the British Army, returning to Northern Ireland in 2022 with her husband Shaun. She then became involved in politics.

For her mayoral year, she has designated Chest Heart and Stroke NI and Buddy Bear UK as her charities. She noted that her mother died from a stroke in October, and her grandson Ruairi has cerebral palsy and has received support from Buddy Bear's conductive education programme.

Cllr Huggins said she and the deputy mayor would work together to represent the borough. She has already completed her first two official engagements. She described herself as approachable and pledged to assist anyone who seeks her help, regardless of background, adding that she considers everyone equal.