A PROMINENT town councillor left between meetings last night saying he was resigning.

Cllr Paul Tuthill left the town council meeting saying he was resigning but gave no reason.

Cllr Neil Morton, a former mayor,also said he would be standing down at the town council meeting last night.

Cllr Morton announced during the meeting that he would be stepping down from one of the council's committees.

Speaking to the Malvern Gazette after the meeting, he said he was leaving the council to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren.

He said: "It has been a great four years and a real privilege to serve the people of Chase Ward, but now I have grandchildren I want to spend more time with them.

"I hope anybody new who comes in can really make a difference.

"Looking back on my time as mayor, it was in a way the best and worst of times with the pandemic.

"It was certainly an interesting experience, and one I hope we never have to repeat.

"I will miss being a councillor for Chase, we really have made a difference and I have met so many amazing people.

"It has been an absolute privilege and I will certainly miss it."

He was followed by Cllr Tuthill,  who stooup at the end of the first part of the meeting.

He said: "I am leaving the meeting now, chair, as I am resigning from the council"

Cllr Morton was mayor of Malvern from 2019 to 2021, while Cllr Tuthill is a well known Conservative councillor who has served at town, district and county level in his time.

Following on from the revelations, the council went on to discuss by-elections in the town.

Town clerk Linda Blake referenced the recently held by-elections in Chase, Pickersleigh and Dyson Perrins, which cost around £20,000 each to run.

The two resignations received last night may well cause additional by-election costs if a by-election is called by electors in those wards.

The council does not have a choice to whether to advertise and fill these two vacancies now as they have nearly one year to go before the full Town Council elections in May next year.