Kesh DUP councillor David Mahon bought an exhibition trailer earlier in the year and has since converted it into a mobile community office, allowing local people to walk in and raise issues with him directly.

Since June Mr Mahon has been visiting the various villages in his council ward of Erne North and listening to local concerns.

“I suppose it all started six months ago”, explained Mr Mahon, elected to the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council last year.

“I realised how the big the area (Erne North) was going to be to cover as it included a lot of small villages and I was trying to think of ways of going to meet the people, rather than them come to me. So the idea came up for the mobile community office or mobile surgery as some people call it.”

The office had its first outing on June 20 in Clabby and has since seen action in Kesh and most recently Lack. So far so good, noted the local councillor.

“Overall we have a great response. Arlene Foster and Lord Morrow were with me in Clabby and Arlene was in Kesh when we were there. One of them was a bit quieter than others, but it’s just knowing what’s the best time to be there for people, whether it’s Saturday or a weekday evening.”

He continued, “We go around first a couple of days before and do a leaflet drop and let people know what time we’re going to be there and make them aware of what location. That gives them a bit more time to think things through or write them down if they want to.”

The mobile office has allowed local people to raise concerns with Mr Mahon directly and helped him meet many of the people who helped elect him to council.

“It’s been fantastic and I don’t know how I could do it any better to be honest. They come to me with issues like pot holes, road salting, the summer scheme camps, maybe council tax issues, things like and I try to help them as best I can. Other people just stop by to say hello. I’m very pleased with how it has gone so far and I intend to do it on quite a regular basis in each village.”

Next week, Thursday August 27 Mr Mahon’s mobile community office will be stationed in Ballinamallard in the forecourt of Johnston’s Upholstery from 6 to 8pm.