Kirkcaldy's newly elected area chairman condemns Manchester bombing

Speaking to the committee, which includes eight new councillors, at the start of the meeting, Mr Crooks said the “abysmal attack” was “beyond our imagination.”

“There were local people from Kirkcaldy at the event and thankfully they all came back in one piece,” he said.

“It is difficult to comprehend how these children, parents, schoolfriends were all affected by that.

“I am sure we all send our condolences from Kirkcaldy to Manchester,” he added.

“It is the most horrendous thing in my lifetime I can think of against the youngest and most vulnerable people in our society.”

Councillor Crooks was re-elected chairman of the committee today (Thursday), with Councillor Carol Lindsay as vice chairman.

Welcoming the new members of the committee as well as the four returning ones, he remembered those who hadn’t returned for the new term.

“When a councillor doesn’t get back when they have stood (for re-election) it is a sad event for them because they were trying to commit themselves to further the work that they have done for their communities,” he said.

“George Kay retired, Susan Leslie and Peter George didn’t make it, we lost Kay Carrington last year and Lawrence Brown and Kenny Selbie retired too and Stuart McPhail didn’t get back either.

“It is a new challenge and I can remember my first day at a committee meeting when I was a bit overwhelmed,” he said.

“It is now up to the 12 of us for the next five years to do what we can for the Kirkcaldy area. I hope we make it through and our agenda needs to make a difference to people’s lives because that’s the point of us being here.”