The first election to choose a mayor for Greater Lincolnshire is just weeks away, but some people say they are still unsure what the role is all about.

On 1 May voters from North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire council areas along with those covered by Lincolnshire County Council, will pick from six candidates to be the mayor of the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA).

The mayor will be handed powers to take over local transport services, build new infrastructure such as roads or business parks and is expected to drive what is being called the skills agenda, in other words making sure that there are enough opportunities to train the next generation of care workers, plumbers or engineers.

But do voters know what their mayor will do for them?

Metropolitan areas such as London and Manchester have had mayors for some years, but it seems that Lincolnshire people are still getting used to the idea.

In fact, many are yet to turn their minds to the local elections in general, as BBC Lincolnshire has been finding out in Lincoln's Steep Hill.

'I don't know what the mayor will do'

Nicola Lockwood, aged 59, owns and runs Bells Tea Shop. She says "there isn't that much information between everyone".

"We've got the county council, city council, the mayor, an MP and I'm not clear what the mayor's responsibilities are," she said.

When asked what she wants from the new mayor she says "support for small, independent businesses because we're struggling".

"But I don't know if they will have the powers to do that."

'Haven't really looked at it yet'

Blake Francis, aged 27, works in marketing but says that "apart from the polling card coming through" he has not yet really thought much about the local elections.

"I'll look into it in a couple of weeks," he said.

"The main issues for me would be how public money is being spent and environmental issues."

'Social care needs funding'

Teaching assistant Christine Bingley said she thought the mayor "was someone with a big chain around their neck opening fetes" and did not realise it held so much power.

"It shows my lack of knowledge!" she joked.

She says economic growth and jobs is really important to her, alongside health and care provision.

"Recently my mum has had to go into respite care and it costs so much money and there aren't enough staff to look after the people," she said.

'People leaving it longer between appointments'

Lewis Gollin, aged 25, runs Sculpt Studios barbers on Steep Hill.

He says he "will read up on it all" nearer polling day and will be looking for policies that will make people feel better off.

"We haven't lost clients but they are leaving it longer between appointments to keep costs down as people are worried and are trying to save a bit more," he said.

'Immigration needs looking at'

Kitchen assistant Sam Mather, aged 40, says he "doesn't know a great deal" about the mayor, believing "ignorance is sometimes bliss".

"Immigration is a big issue as I don't think we look after British people enough, not that anyone else is less important, but we seem to take in from all parts of the world and we're not stable enough ourselves."

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Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

A TV comedy set in Small Heath, Birmingham, was made to make the people of the West Midlands proud, its creator has said.

In Man Like Mobeen, Coventry comedian Guz Khan plays the starring role of a former drug dealer trying to live a good life as a Muslim, while raising his younger sister.

He said he wanted to portray the experiences of second-generation immigrants and hinted the fifth and final series would provide "closure" for fans.

The show, which also has scenes filmed in Khan's home city, returns to BBC Three on Thursday.

Khan said all actors in the Bafta-nominated comedy were from "very working class backgrounds".

"Instead of trying to manufacture what that's like and what it feels like to be from those communities, we knew it straight away," he added.

He said he felt happy the team had been able to show there was room for different types of comedy, with more realistic, grounded characters viewers might have met at school, on the bus, or in a factory.

"The aim was always to make a show that the people of the West Midlands, Birmingham, Small Heath, and the surrounding areas would be proud of," he said.

Khan said the programme had enabled him to "highlight issues that have affected us growing up".

He also said he realised, after filming the first series, that it was the first time he had done "serious acting".

He described the experience as "emotional and a little bit serious and a little bit dramatic".

The latest series came about because everywhere he went people asked him when there would be more episodes, he said, adding: "We had to make some closure for the fans."

Now he plans to spend more time at home with his wife and five children, to "stay at home and just be a dad".

"Five kids is a lot of kids. I love them. We have a laugh, but it's a lot of work," he said.

Parking wardens who went on strike for a total of six weeks will get a pay rise as part of a three-year settlement.

Unite said nearly 40 wardens who work in Reading took the strike action as part of efforts to negotiate the "significant pay increase".

Reading Borough Council's parking enforcement is outsourced to Canada-based company Modaxo but work is carried out by its UK-based business Trellint.

The trade union said the council had been "losing hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost parking revenue and fines" as a result of the strike.

It said that the wardens were being paid the minimum wage despite living in one of the most expensive areas of the country.

Unite regional officer Richard White said the workers should be "commended".

"They took six weeks of strike action to get their employer Modaxo to come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer and stood firm in their resolve," he added.

"Unite will always back our members in their disputes and this is a great pay win."

Modaxo was approached to comment.