HE is a true man of Gwent, who started his working life down Oakdale Colliery at 15 and was last week elected the fourth leader of Caerphilly council.

Penmaen councillor Allan Pritchard, 69, called taking on the reigns of the local authority "one of the toughest, most gruelling challenges of my life".

But, taking it in his stride, he joked: "I was down Oakdale Colliery two weeks before my 16th birthday as a colliers helper. Since then, everything has got easier."

Cllr Pritchard spent 30 years in the coal industry, progressing to management level, before working for the Prince's Youth Trust and Tredegar Development Trust, the town of his parents' birth, where he played rugby for 10 years.

He played every position from loosehead prop to full-back for the club, so it's no surprise he uses a mantra from a WRU coaching manual in his working and political career.

Cllr Pritchard said: "You need possession, when you're in possession, go forward, look for continuity and from there you get success. It's my aim to make Caerphilly the best authority in Wales in the next few years."

The former Oakdale Secondary Modern school pupil has been Penmaen councillor from 1979 to 1991 and 1997 until now with his outlook changing over the years.

"At the start I wanted to change the world, now I just want to change the county borough".

The Plaid Cymru councillor is married to Pauline, has two daughters, three grandchildren, is a fomer Welsh junior hurdles champion and enjoys playing guitar.

His main aims as leader are providing "super modern" schools, meeting the huge demand for Welsh medium education and protecting frontline services.