A Hampton teenager has been elected chair of the Richmond and Kingston Youth Council.

Abi Fisher, 14, will lead the cross-borough council for at least six months after being voted in by fellow council members at a poll held last week.

The Hampton High School student, who was first elected to the council last year, has vowed to “get the voices of young people in the two boroughs heard”.

Abi said she will visit schools across Kingston and Richmond to canvass views of pupils.

She also wants to highlight the work of the youth council and encourage other young people to get involved in politics.

Abi said: “It is a great honour to be the chair of the Richmond and Kingston youth council.

“I have learned an awful lot from the previous Chair and I want to keep up the work she has started.

“Being chair is an awful lot of responsibility but responsibility is something that I have always welcomed.

“We are doing a lot of important work to get the voices of young people in the two boroughs heard but there is more we can do.

“That is why I would like to visit many more schools, youth and sports clubs to find out what the issues that are important to students.

“We also need to work on promoting ourselves so more people out there know about the work we are doing and can seek our help.”

Abi recently came closer to her dream of being a politician after securing a provisional offer of work experience with MP Vince Cable.

She was among three pupils who took the Liberal Democrat leader on a tour of Hampton High in January.

She said: “Vince was really nice and offered my work experience with him at Parliament.

“I have since emailed him and am now waiting for a time to go and in and work with him.”