A special service of Thanksgiving took place at Wells Cathedral on Sunday 12 March to mark an historic milestone in Somerset's history.

The service celebrated the contribution and coming together of Somerset's five councils before Somerset Council comes into effect on Saturday 1 April.

Councillors and staff from the councils – Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton and South Somerset District Councils, and Somerset County Council, took part in the Choral Evensong at the Cathedral.

Cllr Mike Best, Chair of the County Council, said: "It was wonderful to see so many attend this very special service giving thanks for what we have collectively achieved over the decades.

"We now look forward to serving the people of Somerset as we turn open a new chapter in our history, working together as a single council, bringing the very best of the past with us as we embark on our shared future."

The five councils' chairs – Cllr Best, Cllr Hazel Prior-Sankey (Somerset West and Taunton), Cllr Helen Sprawson-White (Mendip), Cllr Alan Bradford (Sedgemoor) and Cllr Paul Maxwell (South Somerset) – left their chains of office on the Cathedral's altar to signify the transition from five councils to one.

The chains, including the insignia of the former West Somerset Council, will be put on display at the Museum of Somerset.