I have lived in the same house in Birstall since 1981 and our four children all attended Riverside Primary School where my wife became chair of governors. I was also a governor at Longslade Community College.

My working life consisted of 28 years as a teacher and nearly 20 years working for Local Authorities as an adviser and inspector - Leicestershire, Leicester City and in London. This included inspecting for Ofsted. I have also worked in India and the United States.

I have worked very closely with the different communities in Leicester and maintain close ties with my Italian heritage near Rome. I believe that this breadth of experience of different cultures is important for understanding the growing diversity of our local community here in Birstall.

The Parish Council constitutes England's first level of governance and I feel privileged to be able to contribute to the long development of and struggle for democracy by those who have gone before us.