A councillor who refused to attend daytime meetings because he had to pay for parking has been removed from a council committee.

Cllr Jack Walton, pictured, who represents Church ward, has been taken off the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) by Bury’s Conservative group leaders.

The party has two seats on the committee, which meets once a month to discuss the terms and conditions of council staff.

Cllr Walton, who lives in Unsworth, has been replaced by Deputy Conservative leader Cllr James Daly, who will sit on the panel alongside Tory leader Cllr Iain Gartside.

Cllr Walton had not attended two meetings of the JCC in protest at having to pay parking charges, while a permit allowing staff or councillors to park at the town hall five days a week costs £687.96 a year.

Cllr Walton made his protest public, by insisting that the reason for his absence was included in the minutes of the meeting.

Cllr Daly said: “At this time it was thought to be appropriate to replace Cllr Walton on the JCC. The appointment of any councillor to any position on council committees is at the discretion of the leader.

"Cllr Walton has given many years of service to the people of Bury and the people he represents in his ward.”

Cllr Gartside said: “Cllr Walton will continue to fulfil his responsibilities and attend the council meetings he has been appointed to. The majority of council members attend evening meetings.”

Labour’s Cllr Tamoor Tariq, said: “It is weak leadership from the Tory group, removing Cllr Walton from the committee is an easy solution.

"He should have been asked to apologise to the council tax payers he has insulted, and he should have attended meetings, as expected of him as an elected representative of the council.”