NEWLY-ELECTED Cotswold Councillor Chris Twells is expected to resign from the council he represents more than 150 miles away.

The Liberal Democrat candidate has been elected to represent Tetbury with Upton ward on Cotswold District Council.

His candidacy sparked controversy both in Gloucestershire and Salford where he represents Ordsall on the city council.

The Cotswold Tories had called on the Lib Dems to withdraw him as a candidate as he already represented residents on the Salford council.

However, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service before last night’s count that he felt he was in with a good chance of winning the Cotswold District seat.

“In which case I will resign as a Salford city councillor,” he said.

Speaking after the count he said: I am delighted to have been elected to represent Tetbury with Upton ward and I would like to thank everybody who voted for me.

“I will be taking some time off over the weekend and speaking to the Chief Executive of Salford City Council after the Bank Holiday weekend to establish what action I need to take to resign as a councillor, to allow for a by-election to be held in my ward.”

The Liberal Democrats gained for more seats in yesterday’s poll and now have a majority of four.

The political makeup of the council is now Liberal Democrats 22, Conservatives nine, Green Party two and there’s one Independent.