A DISGRACED councillor, jailed in July for child sex offences, has formally lost his council seat - for non-attendance of meetings.

Martyn Locklin, of Ladybower, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was convicted of a string of sex offences following a three-week trial at Teesside Crown Court earlier this year.

He maintained his innocence throughout the trial, but was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of eight offences.

Despite his conviction, Locklin, 41, has remained a member of Sedgefield Borough and Great Aycliffe Town Councils.

Yesterday, however, members of Sedgefield Borough Council voted to remove him because he had not attended a meeting for six months.

Arrangements will now be put in place to hold a by-election to fill his vacant seat.

Locklin, who continued to receive his member's allowance, is still a member of Great Aycliffe Town Council, but it is understood that position is about to be reviewed.

Locklin is waiting for a decision from a High Court judge to see if he will be granted leave to appeal against his conviction and sentence His case is being supported by national campaign group, Action Against False Allegations of Abuse (AAFAA).

Campaigners have spoken to friends and colleagues of the councillor who are convinced he is innocent and that the evidence against him was flawed. Many are thought to be afraid to be identified and have never spoken out publicly on the issue.

The group has also leapt on comments made by Britain's most senior judge, Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, who admitted allegations of child abuse were "easy to make".

George Williamson, chairman of AAFAA, said it was very difficult for people to defend themselves against allegations of sexual assault particularly when they dated back many years.

Locklin, a former house parent at Aycliffe Young People's Centre, was convicted of a series of offences between 1988 and 1996. A spokesman for County Durham police, which brought the case against Locklin, said: "This was a very complex case which was thoroughly investigated. "The allegations made were not simply taken at face value and all the relevant evidence was put before the jury who made their decision."