The new Mayor of Burnley has paid an emotional tribute to his father and promised to make those he meets in his civic year feel important and special.

Stoneyholme and Daneshouse ward Independent Cllr Shah Hussain singled out his dad, Haji Shah Abdul Hoque, in his acceptance speech to the annual meeting of the authority on Wednesday.

He told the meeting in the council chamber of Burnley Town Hall: "There is one person in particular I owe a debt of gratitude – my father.

"My father passed away very recently and as he cannot be here in person I wish to invoke his spirit.

"For it was through his example that I am here today, and his life and actions stand as a testimony to so much that we can be proud of in the past, the present and the future of our town.

"My father came to Burnley and worked in its factories.

"He came here to work. Night shifts, double shifts, despite suffering hearing loss, despite the dirty and dangerous work, he provided for his family.

"I am spurred on by the example of my father.

"The world might feel increasingly chaotic and strange but we must be brave and believe in the beauty of our dreams if we are to build a better future for Burnley.

"My father believed in the power of education to transform lives. He was an educator. He educated his children all of whom are graduates and hold post-graduate qualifications.

"He set up a school that taught hundreds of Burnley children to read and write in a second language, Bangla, and many of those children he taught himself.

"He ran poetry competitions, gave prizes for academic achievement and organised talks to mark historic occasions.

"I thought it was remarkable that so many people were made to feel special by him, simply by seeing them and being seen by them.

"And I think that is an important role the Mayor fulfils. I want to be a witness of all the good things that happen in our town.

"The Mayor should make others feel important, feel special, feel seen, feel counted."

Cllr Hussain was born in Jalia, a small village in Bangladesh, and moved to Burnley with his family in 1978.

He attended Stoneyholme Primary and Gawthorpe High Schools before going to Burnley College.

Cllr Hussain works within an NHS community mental health team.

His wife Shewly Akhtar, daughter Tahmina Hussain and sister Runa Khanom will serve as his Mayoresses, with Mr Mohammed Shah Kamran Hussain acting as Consort.