A PRESTON councillor has been ordered to resign from his party after he allegedly threatened to 'out' gay colleagues on Preston Borough Council.

Coun Joe Fitzgerald, who is currently being probed by the local government ombudsman following complaints he abused his powers to try to close a gay pub he has been barred from, has now declared himself an independent - taking fellow Liberal Democrat Tony Jones with him. The two have now formed the People's Party.

He was dismissed from Preston's Lib Dems after an anonymous letter, believed to be from a prominent party activist, was sent to councillors, officials and the local media, claiming that Coun Fitzgerald was going to declare himself and other councillors gay at the next full meeting of Preston Borough Council.

According to the letter, councillors from all sides would have been named.

Lib Dem leader Bill Chadwick said: "Coun Fitzgerald should be concentrating on clearing his name. Such mud-throwing can't be tolerated so we have asked him to resign.

"Such behaviour is despicable. People's private lives are just that - private."

His view was shared by council leader Peter Rankin, who said: "I object to this sort of behaviour. He is perfectly entitled to declare his own sexuality but no-one has the right to do this to other people.

"I can't see why the public would be interested."

Coun Fitzgerald's departure from the Lib Dems comes just two weeks after he was suspended by the party pending an ombudsman inquiry into alleged malpractice.

He is accused of pushing for the Fruit Machine pub in Riversway - a known gay pub - to have its licence revoked following complaints he says he received about noise nuisance. The landlord of the pub and local councillor Marcus Johnstone say there were no complaints, and believe Coun Fitzgerald was seeking revenge after being barred from the pub for alleged criminal damage.

Coun Fitzgerald said: "I have always tried to help minority groups. The letter was not from me."

Coun Jones, who quit Labour to join the Lib Dems last year, said: "The way Coun Fitzgerald has been treated is a disgrace. There is so much back-stabbing, I felt I had to leave."

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