THE NEW mayor of Basingstoke and Deane showed confidence in local businesses in one of his first new engagements since his appointment last week.

Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Councillor Paul Frankum was joined by mayoress Cllr Jane Frankum in a visit to dhaba, an Indian restaurant in Vyne Road, next to Basingstoke train station.

Cllrs Mr and Mrs Frankum enjoyed a meal while discussing the importance of keeping business local and supporting the community with the owner of dhaba, Saurabh Chaturvedi.

Cllr Mr Frankum said: “It is fundamental in my role as mayor that I can highlight and show that there are some really great businesses in the local area, that you just need to look for them. It’s our first time here since it became a curry house six months ago and it’s really impressive.”

dhaba’s owner, Mr Chaturvedi, said: “It’s very nice of the mayor and mayoress to come and pay a visit to my restaurant, they are being really supportive, and their support along with the support from the local community has been amazing.

“While we started off slowly a few months ago, things have picked up and now we have steady business, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, where we sometimes have a 20-minute wait to get in. We do have some regulars who have made one day a week curry night at our restaurant, which is really nice.”