Windsor and Maidenhead’s outgoing mayor has spoken of a ‘rollercoaster year’ after discovering he had a brain tumour during his time in office.

Independent councillor Neil Knowles finished his year as mayor on Tuesday, May 14 – and joked that he may be the only mayor to have served ‘with a part of their brain missing'.

Councillor Knowles made the revelation at the council’s annual meeting on Tuesday evening. He said: “In April last year I suffered a serious brain injury and that left me in intensive care for a week immediately before the elections.

“We didn’t tell people because I’m not the sort of person who likes people coming and baying at me in bed.

Slough Observer: Neil Knowles makes his final speech as mayor of Windsor and MaidenheadNeil Knowles makes his final speech as mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead (Image: RBWM)

“Banging my head like this was lucky because they found a brain tumour. In June, I slipped off to have a brain tumour removed. That had caused the internal damage that caused all the problems. So you can understand the whole year’s been a bit of a rollercoaster.”

Despite this, councillor Knowles said his illness was ‘not as serious as it might sound’ and that he is ‘going to be around for a while yet'.

He added: “I may be the only mayor to complete a mayoral year with a part of their brain missing.”

Councillors unanimously voted in Liberal Democrat councillor Simon Bond as the borough’s new mayor – a non-political, ceremonial role. Mandy Brar, also a Liberal Democrat, was voted in as deputy mayor.