Jeane Lepper has always relished a challenge but none will be bigger than the one she is now facing.

For the Labour councillor has been made Mayor of Brighton and Hove in a period when no party has overall control of the city council - the first time a hung council has occurred in the authority's history.

She believes an even hand is the way forward.

She said: "It will be important to be scrupulously fair to everyone. It is a time to put the interests of the city first."

She says she has already detected a willingness among the political parties to do this and hopes the city will make progress.

Councillor Lepper is used to tough jobs.

She chaired the planning committee for the first two years of the authority and has just completed a spell as chairwoman of the licensing committee at a tricky time.

She said: "I relish a challenge. I particularly liked licensing at a time of change and am sorry to give that up."

Before that, on East Sussex County Council, she chaired a traffic committee at a time when controversial schemes were on the agenda, such as a management plan for London Road.

Coun Lepper, 58, already has some experience of what it is like to be in the hot seat.

Her husband, David, now MP for Brighton Pavilion, was mayor of Brighton ten years ago and she was mayoress.

But she said: "The job has changed a lot since then. It is much broader now that we are a city."

David will be her consort when he is free, mainly at weekends, but she conceded: "His job must come first."

When he is busy, she will take other people with her to events, choosing those who will be most interested in them.

For example, housing chairman Councillor Jack Hazelgrove is likely to be invited when she goes to events with a housing theme.

She said: "One of the nice things about being mayor is that you get to visit all the organisations which work for the city.

"They are the unsung heroes. I am looking forward to seeing all the work they do.

"There are no boundaries in this city. Brighton and Hove is a collection of small communities and does not have a border down the middle."

Born in Surrey, Jeane Lepper met David at a rhythm and blues night at Eel Pie Island in Twickenham.

She moved with him to Whitstable when he became one of the first students at the University of Kent, and came to Brighton 35 years ago when he carried on studying at Sussex.

The couple, who married in 1966, shared a flat in Bedford Square before moving to the Elm Grove area.

There, they became interested in Labour politics following a visit from local councillor Brian Fitch.

Later they moved to Fiveways and have lived in that area ever since.

David Lepper joined Brighton Borough Council in 1980 following a by-election.

Jeane won a county seat in 1989 and later joined him on the council before becoming a member of the new unitary council for Hollingbury.

David became first Labour leader of Brighton Borough Council in 1986.

His proudest moment came after winning Brighton Pavilion constituency to become an MP in 1997, a seat which he held on to in the 2001 General Election.

He left the council soon after being elected to Parliament.

The couple have two children, Joe, a journalist on PR Week, and Eve, a nursery nurse who is now a mature student.

The new mayor has two charities close to her heart.

One is the Red Card appeal, which supports the Women's Refuge.

The other is the Pink Dolphin Appeal for breast cancer care in Brighton and Hove.

Coun Lepper selected the two as she is the first female mayor for some years but she has also pledged to back other local charities.

Meanwhile, she is gearing up for the next challenge in her political career.

She knows being mayor will be tough this term, with the public spotlight on her as she tries to handle a hung council.

She said: "I will do my best and really hope I can do it justice.

"Brighton and Hove is really special to me and it is both wonderful and exciting to be its mayor."