Sacked Lewes Mayor Graham Mayhew has been kicked out of the Liberal Democrat Party.

The party launched an inquiry following complaints from members that Dr Mayhew had brought the party into disrepute.

Dr Mayhew was asked to answer the groups' findings at an executive meeting yesterday before having his membership withdrawn.

He now has 28 days to appeal against the decision.

The move follows a sequence of events that has rocked Lewes Town Council and led to a vote of no confidence from members of the public.

It started when Lewes Town Council decided to scrap its Millennium Art Gallery plan and sack Dr Mayhew, who was spearheading the scheme.

In addition, the town council and Coun Mayhew are both being investigated by the district auditor.

Last week voters were asked to answer 'yes' or 'no' to a motion that they had no confidence in the council and wanted it to resign for fresh elections to be held.

Dr Mayhew and his supporters actively campaigned for a 'yes' vote on the grounds that he had been unfairly treated.

While the turnout for the vote was only eight per cent, 80 per cent of them said "yes" to the motion.

The Liberal Democrats, who control the council, argued the turnout was too small to ask councillors to resign.

But the party has been attacked by Labour chiefs for its response.

Lewes Labour Party spokesman Steve Watts, said: "Despite there being little publicity and no polling cards, over 700 people turned out to express their concern at the way the town council was being run. Yet the Liberal Democrats are continuing as if nothing had happened. They could at least say sorry."

Coun Mayhew, 47, a councillor for more than 20 years, is away on a lecture tour and was today unavailable for comment.

He has previously described the situation as "a witchhunt".