DUNFERMLINE Central councillor Neale Hanvey is the new SNP group leader at Fife Council.

He was elected on Monday evening, replacing Brian Goodall who stepped down last week for health reasons, and said communities would be at the heart of decisions on Fife's future.

Cllr Hanvey said: "It is a real privilege to be entrusted by my SNP colleagues with the responsibility to lead the SNP group.

"I would like to pay tribute, and give my thanks, to Brian for guiding us through some significant change in his time as leader, not least in welcoming four new councillors into the group as the SNP won by-elections across Fife.

"As we look forward to the council elections in May, what’s clear to me is that communities across Fife feel detached from what they perceive as an increasingly remote Labour administration.

"I believe passionately that communities should be supported and enabled to be at the centre of decision-making, giving them a strong voice that drives the direction of Fife Council."

Cllr Hanvey was first elected to Fife Council in 2012 after a career in the NHS.

He has been the SNP group's health and social care spokesperson since then.