THE outgoing leader of Worcestershire County Council has been suspended from the Conservatives after his drink-drive arrest, it has emerged.

Your Worcester News can reveal how Councillor Adrian Hardman has been removed from the Tory group at County Hall and will sit "as an independent" for the time being.

Councillor Hardman is due to appear before Cheltenham Magistrates this Monday after being charged with drink driving and has already said he will plead guilty, calling it "a gross misjudgement".

The 59-year-old has quit as leader, with his deputy Councillor Simon Geraghty due to take over tomorrow after a turbulent few weeks.

Sources say Councillor Hardman asked to be "voluntarily suspended" from the authority's 33-strong Conservative group until the court case is over and his position can be considered further.

Under the party's internal rules he did not have to do so, but his request was accepted.

A decision on whether or not he should be allowed back in will be taken by the Tory group at the end of January, pending whatever emerges in court.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, secretary of County Hall's Conservatives, said: "I can confirm Adrian has been voluntarily suspended from the group and the monitoring officer has been informed also."

It comes as the opposition Labour group renewed its calls for Councillor Hardman to quit County Hall altogether.

Councillor Peter McDonald, Labour group leader, has been urging him to resign as a councillor rather than carry on sitting on the backbenches.

He said: "It looks like he's jumped before he could be pushed.

"I'm surprised he didn't resign as a councillor altogether, especially as he's already admitted his guilt (to drink driving).

"Everyone is just waiting for the court case now to see what happens, we all have to do that."

Councillor Hardman was stopped by police in Tewkesbury three days before Christmas and failed a breath test.

Two days after we revealed his charge he announced he was stepping down as the council's leader, saying he would plead guilty in court after admitting "falling short" of the standards required for the top job.

He represents Bredon and spent five years running the authority.