THE former leader of Wear Valley Liberal Democrats says he has been overwhelmed by support he has received since resigning from his position.

John Ferguson stood down last week after discovering that his group was dissatisfied only three months after clawing back seats from Labour in one of the closest council elections for years.

He said he wanted to avoid a repeat of the in-fighting and defections among the Lib Dems when they controlled the council in the early Nineties, and was replaced by long-serving party member Tommy Taylor.

But the coach driver, who will continue to represent the West Auckland ward, said numerous people had approached him to say that they were sorry he was no longer at the helm.

"I didn't realise the support I had, not just in West Auckland but in other places," he said. "People have said that they voted for me, even though they didn't vote for the party nationally, but would not do that anymore.

"However, I will still do my best for the party because I think so much of the Liberal Democrats."

He also responded to allegations that he had not had enough time to read minutes and agendas because of the nature of his job.

Councillor Taylor - who insists there was never any danger of a mass exodus from the party - said: "Sometimes when councillors had telephoned Coun Ferguson, he had answered the phone abroad.

"When he was elected leader, he said that he was not doing any more long-haul coach driving, but that was not the case."

But Coun Ferguson said that he had been out of the country for only five weeks and two days since the beginning of October last year.