A Cotswold councillor, who also sits on an authority 160 miles away in Salford, says he will resign from the northern council in March.

Councillor Chris Twells, who contested and won the Tetbury with Upton seat as a Liberal Democrat in last year’s Cotswold District Council elections, has a post dated resignation letter for March 16.

His candidacy sparked controversy at the time in both in Gloucestershire and Salford where he represents Ordsall on the city council.

Cotswold Conservatives had called on the Lib Dems to withdraw him as a candidate as he already represented residents in Greater Manchester while there were also calls from the Salford Labour group for him to resign.

However, the staunch republican whose ward includes Highgrove House, the family residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, said he would only resign as soon as possible in a way that does not incur unnecessary expense for the taxpayer.

“I’m [still] a member of Salford council,” he said. “There’s a post dated resignation letter which is dated March 16.”

“As I’ve said every time someone asks me. I appreciate I get criticised for it, I’m going to resign on the first possible date when there won’t be a by-election in Salford.

“It will be held on the same day as the ordinary election. I’ve got two and a bit more years to run on my term as councillor so I would be resigning early and it would technically, in law, be a by-election.

“But because it can be held concurrently with the ordinary election, Andy Burnham is up and Salford has local elections on May 2.

“Effectively, it doesn’t cost the council anything apart from the ballot paper being slightly bigger.

“People can read between the lines and say well I’ve been paid my allowance for another year. [But] I’m on top of my emails and case work. I refute any allegation that I’m not doing my job.”

Cllr Twells currently sits as an Independent at both authorities.