This is the first in a series of profiles introducing our readers to South Hams District Councillors following the local elections earlier this month.

We begin with Cllr Victor Abbott who is both a District Councillor for Ivybridge East and Ivybridge Town Councillor.

The 68-year-old was first elected to SHDC in 2019 and ITC in 2022.

Victor spent 10 years as a civilian hydrographic surveyor working mainly in Britain and Ireland but sometimes further afield. He brought to bear a large number of technical skills for tasks such as charting the current state of the seabed, re-positioning oil rigs at new drilling locations and supporting dredging.

He carried out research on land, water and the seabed across the water’s edge and provided support for doctoral students in marine and remote-sensing studies.

Victor was a judge on a £5.6-million programme to support increased seabed mapping.

He was also a lecturer and academic at the University of Plymouth.

Victor was born in Shrewsbury. He was educated both there and in York before going to study at the Polytechnic of East London where, after it became the University of East London, he went on to lecture.

Victor moved to Ireland where he met his wife.

As a councillor Victor is a member of the Liberal Democrat group.

His and the local party’s main priority is affordable housing, the shortage of which is a major issue in the South Hams.

He said: ‘‘I was very pleased to see we now have 19 out of the 31 councillors and I know our leader Cllr Julian Brazil is very much across the affordable housing issue.’’

Each district councillor has been able to distribute a small sum within the ward or to activities supporting their residents. I have been pleased to forward funds to over 40 organisations from social start-ups to sport- and art-based activities.

Personally he is working towards having the town declared as Dementure Friendly Ivybridge which he hopes will happen in the next month or so.

He would then like to see this extended to become Accessible Ivybridge and would like to see improved toilet facilities including for people with disabilities.

In his spare time Victor goes to the University of the Third Age (U3A) where he studies science and technology, geology, poetry and modern history.

In addition to that he is a member of a litter picking group.