A CONSERVATIVE councillor has stood down from positions on a number of local authorities after being suspended by his party.

The Conservative party confirmed that Cllr Phil Boorman – a member of East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council – has left the party and resigned his council seats.

He has also resigned from his positions at Newhaven Town Council and Seaford Town Council.

Cllr Isabelle Linington, the Conservative group leader at Lewes District Council, said: “I would like to thank Phil for all his work as a councillor and especially for representing the people of his Seaford Ward so diligently”

A Conservative party spokesman stated Cllr Boorman was suspended from the party prior to his resignation.

The spokesman said the decision to suspend was taken following “allegations made on Facebook” and complaints from residents.

Chairman of Lewes Constituency Conservative Association, Jane Slater said: “Given the serious nature of the alleged accusation against this member, Lewes Constituency Conservative Association took swift action and following an emergency meeting of the Association management team on August 13 we have taken the decision to suspend him from the Conservative party pending a full investigation.”

Mr Boorman said: “It is with a heavy heart and after much soul searching that I have decided, for the sake of my loving family, to step away from public life at the moment. I have therefore resigned as a Newhaven town councillor, Seaford town councillor, Lewes district councillor and East Sussex county councillor.

“It has been an absolute joy and privilege to serve the good people of Newhaven and Seaford that I’ve had the privilege to represent. However, recently there has been an increasing level of harassment levelled at me and also my family which reached an intolerable degree, to which I was unable to fully focus on the job that I was elected to do.

“For that reason, I have decided it best to step back from roles in local government.

“I would like to thank all those who have put their trust in me at the ballot box on several occasions and it was an honour to serve the communities that I represented and to try and do the best for all of the local residents in the areas in which I served.

"I wish my future elected successors the very best”