After weeks of uncertainty, Penryn Town Council finally has a new member this week following the co-option of Victor Tullin on Monday.

Originally from Belfast, 55-year-old Mr Tullin has lived in Penryn for the past seven years and is now a mainstay of many local organisations.

He helps out at The Space youth community building at Penryn Rugby Club, has been involved with the Saturday Club since its inception in 2007 and has also been a member of Penryn Camera Club for the past four years.

“I have been doing community and voluntary work for 40 years, off and on,” he said.

“I feel at this stage that I can bring something, potentially, to the local community from my experience.

“I'm a community person so my remit will be for the town in general and for the people of the town.

“I have no ulterior motive, no affiliation to any political party. I have no hidden agenda,” he added.

Mr Tullin was approached to stand for election four years ago, but did not feel he had been a member of the community for long enough and wanted to build up a level of trust.

“People have got to know that you are willing to help the community before they are willing to support you,” he said.

A long standing admirer of Penryn, Mr Tullin visited the town with his family many times over two decades before “finally making the move” and settling in to a home with his wife and three sons.

“We are very family orientated, both my wife's family and my own family,” he said.

“Family comes first and then everything else will fell in to place for you.”

Mr Tullin was selected by the process of co-option at Monday night's meeting of Penryn Town Council.

He was one of five candidates vying for the vacant role of town councillor following the resignation of Sue Townsend earlier this year.

Co-option was used as Cornwall Council received no requests from anyone in Penryn asking for an election to be held.