Candidates hoping to be elected to Carlisle City Council in May will have hard acts to follow, as seven councillors stand down.

The councillors, including six Labour and one independent, have clocked up 93 years of service between them and worked on all the committees.

Leader of the council Colin Glover paid tribute at the final full council meeting ahead of the election, saying new candidates will have big boots to step into.

In particular he highlighted the hard work of Labour councillor Elsie Martlew. Mr Glover said he’d heard she was no “shrinking violet” during her first stint when she was involved in the creation of the Sands Centre, The Lanes and the refurbishment of Tullie House.

Mr Glover said: “A lot of the things she’s taken on she’s done to the best of her ability.

“She said she wanted to make her four years count and, boy, has Elsie made her four years count.”

Conservative councillors also paid tribute to Mrs Martlew – Gareth Ellis even composed a Japanese haiku poem: Up for the challenge, whether bins, bags or parks, she came, saw and conquered .

John Mallinson, leader of the Conservative party, said: “Whatever the results on May 5, and however many councillors the respective groups and parties have, with [Elsie] not there it will seem like there are a lot fewer Labour councillors.”

Mrs Martlew replied to all this praise: “It’s not often I’m speechless... and I’m not.

“The past four years have been wonderful. They have been hard work but they have been so fulfilling that I wouldn’t have missed them for the world.”

Independent councillor William Graham is standing down after 21 years of representing Hayton. He was Mayor from 2009 to 2010 and led the Independent Group since 2013.

Mr Glover said of him: “I know how much his own residents appreciate his work and you can tell that by his majorities.”

Mr Glover thanked Labour councillor Donald Cape for everything he had done since he was first elected in Upperby in 2008. In particular, Mr Glover highlighted his commitment and dedication to sport.

In response Mr Cape said: “I hope whoever takes my place has half as much fun as I have because it’s been brilliant.”

Both Joan Southward and Michael Boaden are stepping down after representing Denton Holme and Botcherby respectively for 17 years.

Mr Boaden in his time has served on all the council committees and was leader of the Labour Group in 2009 for a year.

Hugh McDevitt paid special tribute to his fellow Denton Holme councillor Mrs Southward who he said was one of the few people on the council he could trust completely.

Although Elaine Stevenson, councillor for Morton, and Karen Atkinson, for Yewdale, have only been on the council four years, Mr Glover said both had made a great contribution to the council and stood on many of the council’s committees and panel.