REBEL town councillor Gary Witcombe resigned from his position on the council last Wednesday, pledging to continue to serve the town as an outsider.

Mr Witcombe had previously been conditionally restricted from entering the council chambers at Shire Hall on health and safety grounds, following allegations of harassing the town clerk.

But Mr Witcombe claims the restrictions imposed were illegal, and believes his position has since become untenable. He now hopes to better serve the community as a member of a proposed action group. In a handwritten letter to the town council, Mr Witcombe said: "It is with greatest regret that I am tendering my resignation.

"When I joined the council in May 1999, I did so in the belief that I would be able to help the people of the area where I lived. That has, regrettably, proved impossible."

While serving on Monmouth Town Council for six and a half years, Mr Witcombe saved Mon-mouth's ambulance station from being moved out of town, but lost fights to establish a community council for his Wyesham ward, or save Monmouth Hospital from closure.

He added: "I am totally disillusioned with the way the town council is set up and by the way it is run. Every single councillor should have the ability to comment on each and every decision made by the council, but that is not the case."

Elections for a replace Wyesham ward councillor will take place after Christmas.