But political party won’t say when Cllr Rev David Clues will step down

A Brent councillor who refused to give up his seat despite moving 80 miles away in 2011 is to resign, his party has announced.

A spokesman for the Brent Liberal Democrats told the Times that Cllr Rev David Clues has informed them he will give up his seat in the Dudden Hill ward.

He said: “David Clues has stated he intends to step down from Brent Council.

“An announcement will be made in due course.”

However, he refused to disclose the date for when Cllr Clues would resign.

Cllr Clues has ignored previous calls for his resignation after the Times exclusively revealed he had moved from St Mary’s Church in Neasden Lane to become the vicar of St Bartholomew’s Church in Brighton in December 2011.

He has managed to avoid trigging a by-election by attending one meeting every six months and is able to claim an annual allowance of £7,974 for his councillor duties.

The two other ward councillors, Aslam Choudry and Krupesh Hirani, represent Labour.

Angry resident Kierra Box, of Roundwood Road, Willesden, travelled to the seaside town on Sunday to confront him after he failed to respond to her emails and phone calls but he was not at home.

The following day he was featured on a Channel 4’s Dispatches programme about council waste.

After being confronted by the television crew he pledged to give up his seat.

He added: “I’m in the process of resigning. My intention all along was to do what I could for my constituents as long as I could but I recognise that’s not realistic and I don’t think it’s fair on them.”