A COUNCILLOR will stand down from her position having been elected MP of Heywood and Middleton.

Longholme Labour ward coun Liz McInnes is due to resign from Rossendale Council after winning the seat in a by-election on Thursday, October 9. Coun McInnes, who has served the Valley for four years, won the Parliamentary after beating UKIP by 617 votes.

Coun McInnes said: “I will be very sad to leave the council, I have made a lot of good friends.

“It has been a real privilege and I am grateful to have had the chance to serve.

“Standing in Heywood and Middleton was in very sad circumstances after the passing of Jim Dobbin, who I knew well. He was a perfect gentlemen and I was very upset when I heard that he had died.

“When the party advertised for applicants for the seat I thought about Jim and thought how we had similar backgrounds and decided to apply to try and carry on his good work.”