PENDLE councillor Gary Rowland has hit back after calls for his resignation after he switched from Labour to the Tories.

The Marsden councillor said he had 'lost faith in Labour' when he resigned from the party last week.

But former colleague and Pendle Labour group leader Frank Clifford said Coun Rowland should resign as a matter of 'principle and concern' and see if he was re-elected as a Conservative.

Coun Rowland has hit back, saying people voted for him, rather than his party.

He said: "I have been councillor for Marsden for eight years and in that time I have won four elections.

"At first it was because I was standing under the Labour banner. But I was also following a great councillor, Len Atkinson.

"I would like to think that, over the years, the people in Marsden voted more for me than the party.

"I live in the centre of my ward, I am a school governor at both Castercliff and Walton Lane and any issues that affect the ward affect me.

"As a councillor, I would assist anyone who needed it, regardless of what party they supported.

"Even though now I am a Conservative councillor, I will still serve all the people of Marsden to the best of my ability."

Coun Rowland said if he had to fight for re-election it would cost £5,000 which 'could be better spent on other things'.