»Youngsters across Islington have a new elected mayor and deputy mayor to speak out about issues affecting them.

Hiba Warsame and her deputy Shanaz Shaw, both 16, were selected by their fellow youth councillors last week and will work with council officers and elected members to ensure young people have a key role in planning, designing, delivering and reviewing services.

Almost 5,000 young people took to the ballot box to vote for fellow teens to represent them on the local youth council in November – a voter turnout of almost 50 per cent.

Miss Warsame, who attends the Islington Sixth Form consortium (IC6), said: “I ran for young mayor because I want to contribute more to the youth council and I really feel I have the skills to do so.”

The pair’s flagship policies revolved around tackling youth crime and creating quiet study environments.

Miss Warsame promised to introduce silent library times exclusively for students studying towards exams, while Miss Shaw vowed to raise awareness about local youth clubs in an attempt to reduce crime.

Miss Shaw, a student at Mount Carmel College, in Duncombe Road, Archway, said: “I think I have really good networking skills so I hope I can get others involved in our work. “I’m looking forward to speaking on behalf of the youth council.”

The councillors will be responsible for making sure that the opinions of young people in Islington are heard and have been given an induction to get the skills and knowledge required for their challenging roles.

Cllr Joe Caluori, executive member for children and families, said: “The young people of Islington deserve a voice and the elections allow this. We welcome Hiba and Shanaz and look forward to hearing their ideas and to working with them to improve the range and quality of services for young people in Islington.”

n Find out more about the youth council at izzy-info.com, or follow them on Facebook.com/IslingtonYC or Twitter @IslingtonYC.