CALLINGTON has taken its Mebyon Kernow membership to three with town councillor Maria Coakley joining the party.

Former Independent Cllr Coakley joins fellow members of Callington Town Council Andrew Long and Chris Thomas as a Mebyon Kernow councillor.

She has represented the town since 2009 and is vice-chairman of the finance and general purposes committee as well as sitting on the planning, outside services and town hall and premises committees.?She represents the town council on the Kelly Bray Residents' Association.

Cllr Coakley said: 'I have been thinking long and hard over the last six months and believe that only with a large number of Mebyon Kernow councillors across Cornwall can we begin to put Cornwall First.

' I have been a supporter of the party for a long time so it is a natural next step for me.'

Her decision was welcomed by fellow Callington and Cornwall Councillor Andrew Long, who is also deputy leader of the party.

He said: 'I am really pleased for Maria as she is a very hard working councillor who continues to put the town and Cornwall first.

'I am also in discussions with other councillors across the South East about the upcoming town and unitary authority elections in May when I hope we will have a strong base of councillors from Mebyon Kernow so the people will have a real alternative to the existing London-based parties,' he said.

Cllr Coakley's joining Mebyon Kernow leaves Callington with nine independents and three MK councillors.

The defection of Cornwall councillor Tamsin Williams in Penzance from the Liberal Democrats to MK brings the party up to six of the 123 councillors on the authority, double the starting figure in 2009.