A SHAMED politician who admitted fiddling his expenses has resigned from the county council after being told he had brought the authority into disrepute.

Robert Heseltine, also a former chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, was sentenced to do 240 hours' community service at Teesside Crown Court earlier this month after pleading guilty to 12 charges of false accounting.

Mr Heseltine narrowly escaped jail only because of his 25 years' public service and was told by Judge Peter Fox he was "unworthy of public office."

He quit the county council yesterday in the wake of a standards committee meeting called to consider his future.

In a statement, committee chairman George Sigsworth said: "Despite recognising the public service he has given over 25 years, the county council's standards committee, having carefully considered the judgement of the court and having taken into account representations made by and on behalf of county councillor Heseltine, unanimously reached the verdict that, by his actions . . . county councillor Heseltine had brought the county council into disrepute."

Labour leader on the authority, Councillor Mick Haigh, welcomed Mr Heseltine's resignation and said he felt "deeply let down by his criminal behaviour".

He said: "With such a serious blemish, I am glad he admits his public office days are over and that the people of Skipton should have the opportunity to replace him with a trustworthy representative."

Mr Heseltine also resigned his position as a member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.