VETERAN Liberal Democrat Sudell councillor Roy Davies, narrowly beaten in the recent local elections, has announced he will not stand for borough office again.

And he has revealed he intends to stand down from Darwen Town Council when it goes to the polls in two years’ time.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The 67-year-old, who represented Sudell on Blackburn with Darwen council for ten years, was beaten by just 106 votes by Labour candidate Jane Oates.

The only Liberal Democrat up for election, his defeat leaves the party with just three councillors.

Mr Davies, a former shift manager at Chapman Envelopes in the town, said: “I am bitterly disappointed.

“I do not think I will stand again.

“I have done all I can for Sudell ward.

“I don’t think I shall stand when my Darwen Town Council seat comes up for election in two years time.

“It time to move on.

“There are other things to do in life.”

Married to wife Hazel for 35 years, he has two surviving sons Adam, 30, and Mark, 18.

His middle child Timothy died of leukaemia as a child inspiring him to become chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee of the council when the LibDems were part of a coalition administration in the borough.

Mr Davies, who lives in Olive Lane, said: “I have loved every minute of being a councillor.

“It’s working with people and trying to help them that makes it worthwhile.

“I’ve done everything I can to improve the lives of the people of Sudell ward.

“I greatly enjoyed being chairman and deputy chairman of the health scrutiny committee, working in a field that was very important to me.

“I shall still remain involved in politics and with the Liberal Democrats.

“There are still things to do like working with Network Rail to clean up and keep clean the railway bridges in Darwen.

“I shall also remain very active in the housing field getting properties back into use and young people into homes.”

Whitehall councillor and leader of the borough Liberal Democrat group David Foster said: “I am bitterly disappointed to lose Roy as a councillor.

“I don’t think there is a harder working councillor out there.

“He was out in Sudell ward every day working to make things better for residents.”