Cllr Donald Adey finally quits after admitting he cannot represent Trumpington residents from Scotland

Cambridge councillor Donald Adey has finally resigned after admitting it was impossible to represent his constituents from 400 miles away in Fife.

Cllr Adey moved from his Trumpington ward in the city to Scotland 12 months ago but, in the face of mounting criticism, held on to his posts with both the county and city councils.

But Mr Adey, who lives in Cupar, Fife, has now confirmed that he has tendered his resignation after failing to attend a full council meeting on March 19, however the county council have yet to receive it.

He was the last of Cambridgeshire's 61 councillors to agree to giving up 1.2 per cent of his allowance, a move taken by councillors to show solidarity and support to staff who were being forced to take three days unpaid leave as a result of continued cuts.

Mr Adey initially declined to cut his allowance and continued to claim £10,000 a year for his county council role and £4,500 from the city council.

He was representing his ward as an independent after leaving the Liberal Democrats in last year.

The Local Government Act 1972 states: "If a member of a local authority fails throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of his last attendance to attend any meeting of the authority, he shall... cease to be a member of the authority."

On Wednesday, a county council spokeswoman said: "Councillor Donald Adey didn't attend the full council meeting on March 19 which is the last scheduled meeting he could attend in order to be within the six month attendance rule.

"We are contacting Mr Adey to see what his intentions are about remaining a member of Cambridgeshire County Council. But as yet we have not yet received a formal resignation from him.”

Mr Adey's resignation will allow his Trumpington ward seat to be contested during the local elections in May.