WILTSHIRE Lib Dem leader John Hubbard, who has spent most of the past year calling on Tory party leader Jane Scott to resign, has decided to step down himself.

Coun Hubbard wrote to fellow Lib Dems on Saturday to tell them he was resigning as leader of the group as he felt some would feel disappointed and let down.

He was also convinced that jungle drums would be beating by Monday and a number of versions would do the rounds.

This prediction proved to be true but was not helped by the fact that Coun Hubbard himself seemed to say one thing to Lib Dem councillors and something else to senior Wiltshire council officers.

In the round robin email to Lib Dem councillors he said: "It is in my firm opinion that the role of leader is to do just that - lead. Leading a council group within the Liberal Democrats requires two things, support from those within the group and support from those within the party."

He went on to say that while he felt support from the group this was not so for the party. The last straw came over a county day organised by the group to develop its campaign for 2017.

He wrote: "I discovered about ten days ago that the agenda had been changed without my consent."

He found that Sir Graham Watson has been invited to speak about wider matters and new members were not to be invited."

But in an email to Carlton Brand, Maggie Rae and Carolyn Godfrey he said the reason he was resigning as group leader as there was virtually no administrative or policy support for the role or recognition in council allowances for job.

He said: "Having done the job for over six years this has taken a considerable toll on my ability to earn and, being honest, the well has pretty much run dry."

In the past year he has criticised Jane Scott for taking a rise in her allowance and for taking on the dual role of council leader and member of the House of Lords.