A cabinet member on South Kesteven District Council has left the Conservative group.

Councillor Rosemary Trollope-Bellew is now listed as an unaligned Independent on the Council website.

The representative for Casewick in Stamford has voiced continued support for the Leader of the Conservative-run Council, Councillor Kelham Cooke.

She was formerly part of the leadership team, serving as the Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy.

Cllr Rosemary Trollope-Bellew

Councillor Trollope-Bellew said: "I have decided to step back for a while but will continue to support the aims and ambitions of the leader of SKDC, Councillor Kelham Cooke."

She has served on the council continuously since being elected in 2011.

Former council leader Councillor Matthew Lee also switched his alliegance to unaligned last month after an apparent falling out with his party.

He was seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service exchanging heated words with his former colleagues following a meeting on the closure of the Deepings Leisure Service. 

This comes as it is revealed that South Kesteven District Council paid £5,500 for Leader, Kelham Cooke, to go on a training course which included a trip to America. Read more here.

Cllr Cooke has defended the spending.