A councillor has been accused of performing "political hokey cokey" for switching her party allegiance three times in less than a year.

Anne Giebeler, who represents Hove's Goldsmid ward, has been a Conservative, an Independent, a Conservative and now an Independent again in just eight months.

The yo-yoing councillor is facing calls to resign after abandoning the Tories for the second time.

But the former English teacher vowed to serve out her term as an Independent.

Labour's chief whip, Brian Fitch, said: "It's like political hokey cokey. She puts her right foot in and her right foot out. In, out, shake it all about."

Coun Giebeler, who has spent most of her adult life in Switzerland and Egypt, was first elected to Brighton and Hove City Council in 2003 as a Conservative.

In April this year she humiliated her party by walking out just weeks before the General Election, saying it had failed to back her on key ward issues.

Coun Giebeler joined fellow independent Jayne Bennett, who had quit the Tories in 2002, and became leader of the short-lived Independent Group.

The group was dissolved in October when Coun Bennett walked out, prompting accusations from Coun Giebeler that her former partner was a closet Labour supporter. Coun Bennett denied the claims.

Then on November 14, councillors were surprised to learn that Coun Giebeler had agreed to rejoin the Conservatives.

On Thursday, in a bizarre twist, Coun Giebeler claimed she had not actually rejoined the party because she had not received her membership card.

She confirmed she was turning her back on the Tories for good just two weeks after agreeing to rejoin them, because she suspected local members were unlikely to re-select her to fight the next election in 2007 and did not want to be tied to a party line.

Her former leader lost his patience with her repeated changes of heart.

Conservative leader Garry Peltzer Dunn said: "It's remarkable. She's lasted a fortnight. I find it incomprehensible that someone can do this."

He said the honourable thing to do would be for her to to resign her seat, sparking a by-election.

Coun Bennett agreed, saying: "The voters of Goldsmid will be very confused.I don't understand what she's doing."

Coun Giebeler dismissed calls to stand down. She said: "I'm here to serve residents and I have strong support from them whatever political tendency I have."