A COUNCILLOR has resigned from the Labour Party following a row over his attendence.

Keith Murray-Hetherington said he resigned in protest at the way members had sought his resignation from Durham County Council.

Councillor Murray-Hetherington complained last year to the Standards Board, the watchdog of councillors' behaviour, saying the council's leader, Councillor Ken Manton, had harassed him in trying to get him to stand down.

The board took no action, saying it was a political matter.

Coun Murray-Hetherington, who plans to continue representing Stanley on the county council, said: "The ruthless smear campaign carried out against me by local Labour party colleagues was the final straw.

"I have also reflected on the highly unpalatable involvement of chief officers, who have commented upon and become embroiled in an internal Labour party matter."

Coun Murray-Hetherington has angered the council's Labour leadership by attending only two out of 78 meetings in the past two years.

At the same time, he has also been subject to resignation calls from North Durham MP Kevan Jones.

Coun Murray-Hetherington, who receives £7,206 for being a councillor, recently stepped down from the £19,000 chairmanship of the Derwentside Primary Care Trust.

North Durham constituency party chairman Christine Smith welcomed his resignation from the party, and said: "He should do the honourable thing and resign his seat because he was elected as a Labour councillor.

"There is nothing we can do as a constituency because he is no longer a member of the Labour Party.

"Apart from not attending many meetings, councillors in neighbouring divisions were picking up a lot of work that he would have been doing."

Coun Manton said: "I echo what Christine has said. I hope this is the first step towards a final resolution of a sticky problem in his relationship with the council."