THE longest serving member of Bere Ferrers Parish Council celebrated her 80th birthday at a recent council meeting.

Doris Chapman was presented with cake and flowers after the meeting. 

Doris was born in Willesden, North West London in 1931 and after enduring the Blitz, moved to Plymouth in 1951. She married her husband Gerald in 1953, giving birth to her son, Christopher, in 1957, and moved to Bere Ferrers in 1959. A daughter, Rebecca, was born the following year.

Doris was co-opted to the council in 1984 and has been a member ever since. She has also served as chairman of the footpath committee and had two spells as chairman of the council.

She can be seen regularly walking her Yorkshire Terrier dogs around the footpaths whatever the weather and is a font of knowledge about the local paths.