A MALVERN Hills district councillor has died after collapsing while speaking at a meeting last night.

Cllr Chris Cheeseman was rushed to hospital after losing consciousness at the meeting of the planning committee, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

When Cllr Cheeseman collapsed, at about 7.40pm, fellow councillors rushed to his aid.

Cllr Jan Marriot and Cllr Adam Rea, and at least one member of the public, applied CPR while Cllr Hannah Campbell ran to the nearby Malvern Splash to fetch a defibrillator.

Paramedics soon arrived at the council chamber off Avenue Road and took over the treatment.

But Cllr Cheeseman was pronounced dead immediately following his arrival at the Royal Worcestershire Hospital.

The meeting had been called to make a decision on a controversial planning application to build housing on land of Eastward Road, on the edge of Malvern.