Ref. 15334-02WILTSHIRE'S new Lord Lieutenant is no stranger to Swindon, which he says has every chance of gaining city status in the future.

And John Bush said he is looking forward to meeting people in town when he takes up his new role.

He will replace Sir Maurice Johnston as the Queen's representative in the county next Wednesday.

But the 67-year-old farmer from Heywood, near Westbury, is already familiar with the town, having been a Deputy Lieutenant since 1998, when he was also High Sheriff of Wiltshire.

His local connections go back a long way.

He said: "I'm a Moonraker, having been born in Marlborough, so it's an enormous honour to be chosen.

"Sir Maurice has done a fantastic job around the county and his will be a hard act to follow.

"I spent a lot of my High Sheriff year going to activities in Swindon.

"I very much enjoy meeting people who have been involved in running the various organisations I have come across there.

"It's a town that I regard as being very important for the future. It has this enormously strong hi-tech image and stands every chance, I hope, of gaining city status.

"I'm looking forward to meeting people round the county and particularly in Swindon."

Mr Bush knew nothing about his appointment until relatively recently.

He said: "I had a letter from the Prime Minister asking if he could recommend me to the Queen about two months ago. That was the first I had heard about it.

"The Queen does require somebody to represent her in the county and I hope to be able to prove during my time as Lord Lieutenant there is some role to be fulfilled."

He has two main ambitions for his time as Lord Lieutenant.

He said: "I hope to able, first of all, to get to know the county really well and secondly to form strong relationships with all those organisations that really do make a difference to life in Wiltshire."

His background is in agriculture and he is also a magistrate, and he said he was especially devoted to the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust.

"It's something I was involved in starting when I was High Sheriff. The trust sends out a van and a highly trained carpenter locksmith to the homes of people who have just been broken into, especially if they are elderly and vulnerable.

"They do repairs and then bring the security of those houses up to a very high standard," he explained.

"It's been remarkably successful. I have just retired from chairmanship.

"We had to raise money to do it to employ locksmiths and drivers who are also very good at counselling people who have been broken into.

"It takes a very special person to do this and they are absolutely outstanding people."

Mr Bush has been chairman of the Magistrates' Courts Committee in Wiltshire.

He is also chairman of Country-wide Farmers, an agricultural supply company.

When he manages to find some time off he is a keen gardener and tennis player.

He lives with his wife Pamela. His son, daughter and five grandchildren all live in Wiltshire.

David Andrew