WEAR Valley Liberal Democrats have changed leaders only three months after clawing back seats from Labour in one of the closest district council elections for years.

Party veteran Tommy Taylor, from Coundon, was elected unopposed on Wednesday night, following the resignation of West Auckland coach driver John Ferguson, on Monday.

Many of the party's 16 councillors have said they were dissatisfied with Councillor Ferguson's leadership since the May 3 vote, when they won only two seats less than Labour.

He said he had resigned to avoid a repeat of the in-fighting and defections among the Lib Dems when they controlled the council in the early Nineties.

Councillor Ferguson, whose job often takes him out of the country, said: "I stepped down to make sure that didn't happen. I didn't want the party to splinter.

"I didn't have 100 per cent support from the group, I haven't been given any reason why.

"I am disappointed because I have worked hard for the Lib Dems for the past 20 years and so has my wife, Pauline.

"People cannot accept that some people have got to work and can't be there all of the time.

"I will continue to work hard for the West Auckland ward, as a district and parish councillor."

Coun Taylor, a 66-year-old retired welfare rights officer, sat on Durham County and Sedgefield Borough councils in the Seventies and Eighties before joining Wear Valley in 2003.

He said members had been concerned about Coun Ferguson's absences because of work.

He said: "Anyone doing a job like his would have difficulty reading all the minutes and agendas you need to speak at meetings. Also, we were dissatisfied with our efforts regarding the unitary authority issue.

"We saw other people making their opinions heard, but there was nothing from the Wear Valley Liberal Democrat group.

"We intend to put that right now. I hope to meet regularly with the other group leaders to achieve the best for the district."