A RICHMOND town councillor has resigned after an internal dispute which she says has made it "impossible" for her to stay.

Coun Linda Curran, a former town mayor, is the second councillor to resign from the authority in the space of a week.

Both Coun Curran and Coun Stuart Parsons, who resigned from the town council last week, are witnesses in an employment tribunal involving a staffing issue at the council.

Last month, members voted to be "minded to bring a vote of no confidence" in the two councillors, but action has now been suspended until the tribunal proceedings have finished.

Coun Curran also sits on Richmondshire District Council, where she has recently formed a new group together with Coun Parsons and Coun Jane Parlour - the Liberal Democrat and Associates.

Before her resignation, she had been a member of the town council for nine years.

"Because the legal proceedings are ongoing, we are restricted as to what we can say," she said. "The vote last week was hurtful, and the fact that action has been suspended means that there's this sword of Damocles hanging over my head indefinitely."

She added: "I just felt I could no longer work with people who were prepared to do that to me, and that I would be more use to the community outside the town council than in it.

"I am now concentrating on my work with the district council, and will continue to do what I love doing - working hard for the people of Richmondshire."

Coun John Robinson, the Mayor of Richmond, said he could not comment on Coun Curran's reasons for leaving, but said that she was wrong to go.

He said: "She was a very good councillor, and she will be missed."

- In our report last week of the resignation of Coun Stuart Parsons from Richmond Town Council, we incorrectly reported that the council had passed a vote of no confidence in Coun Parsons and Coun Linda Curran.

We have been asked to point out that the council resolved to take no action until the internal staff matter which prompted Coun Parsons' resignation had been resolved.

We apologise for the error.