A FORMER Mayor should stand down as a councillor because of his breach of coronavirus restrictions a veteran colleague has said.

Cllr Iftakhar Hussain resigned as Blackburn with Darwen borough’s ‘first citizen’ this week and suspended himself from the council’s ruling Labour group after being given a £200 fine.

Now Darwen East Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Browne said he should quit as a councillor when he is up for election in May.

Bastwell and Daisyfield ward’s Cllr Hussain said: “I shall be sitting as an Independent and continuing to represent the people in may ward as I have always done.

“I am up for election in May. I have not yet made my mind up about whether to stand again.

“I am happy to co-operate with any inquiry.”

Cllr Browne said: “Cllr Hussain did absolutely the right think when he resigned as Mayor.

“He should now stand down as a councillor at the May elections.

“He knew the rules and should not have gone to the event.

“In all my 47 years as a councillor I have never known a Mayor to resign in the middle of his term.”

Cllr Hussain now faces a potential Members Code of Conduct inquiry by town hall officials over his attendance at an event, described as a wedding, with up to 30 people present. He was one of nine people fined £200 by police.

He has apologised for his ‘momentary lapse of judgement’.

Conservative Deputy Mayor Cllr Derek Hardman who will take his place said: “I am looking forward to serving the people of the Borough through this office in whatever way I can in these challenging and difficult times.

“It is a great honour to serve as Mayor of this wonderful borough and I will endeavour to fulfil my duties to the best of my abilities.

"I want to thank Cllr Hussain for his dedication in the role of Mayor over this past year.”

READ: 'I should have known better' - Mayor quits for breaking Covid lockdown rules

Sayyed Osman, Deputy Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We have been informed that Cllr Iftakhar Hussain has taken the decision to step down from the position of Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen following the incident this weekend.

“We believe this was the correct course of action and reinforces the council’s Members’ Code of Conduct, which highlights personal responsibility.

"We do not endorse or condone any behaviour that falls outside this code and the coronavirus restrictions and guidelines.”

Leader of Blackburn with Darwen council, Cllr Mohammed Khan, said: “I know Cllr Hussain deeply regrets this mistake. I would like to thank him for his dedicated service as Mayor during this difficult year.”

Cllr Hussain said he had been called to a relative’s house on the corner of Gibraltar Street and Dukes Brow on Saturday to ‘to open the door to the house so some food could be delivered’.