Two councillors have announced they are joining Residents for Uttlesford (R4U).

Uttlesford district councillors Martin Foley and Councillor Mike Tayler were previously serving as Thaxted and the Eastons Independent Group.

Cllr Martin Foley said: “Before deciding, it was important that we spoke with many residents in our ward to gauge their feelings.

"Their response has been strong and supportive. Now, as part of R4U, we will continue to work to deliver the things we were elected to do for our villages.”

R4U chair Dan Starr said: “R4U has never stood candidates in the Thaxted and Eastons ward before as we believed they already had the best representation possible at UDC.

"Martin is one of the most experienced councillors at UDC and Mike is an extremely capable councillor who brings expert knowledge, particularly in the healthcare sector. Both enjoy fantastic support from the residents they represent.”