A LONG-serving Bournemouth councillor has been suspended from the Liberal Democrat party just weeks before the local elections.

Cllr Roger West, who has represented Redhill and Northbourne since 1999, has run into trouble because of his close links with newly-formed political party the Bournemouth Independent Alliance (BIA).

His membership of the Liberal Democrats was suspended on Monday and he now has seven days to respond.

Cllr West joined with resident Geoff Cooper in 2011 to found an organisation called A Better Bournemouth, which describes itself as a “non political action and lobbying group dedicated to restoring honesty, transparency and integrity to local government.”

Mr Cooper then went on to form the BIA and will stand as a BIA candidate in the forthcoming local election on May 7.

Last week, Cllr West and Mr Cooper jointly released a leaflet titled “A Better Bournemouth” and containing two emails – one sent by Cllr West to monitoring officer Tanya Coulter asking for information about how his original complaint against Cllr Beesley was handled and the other an email from a businessman making allegations about links between the council leader and planning agent Tony Ramsden. The allegations referred to have previously been investigated by a tribunal, which found no wrong-doing on the part of Cllr Beesley.

Robert Saunders, chair of Bournemouth Liberal Democrats, said: “I’ve suspended Roger because he now has membership or is the supporter of another political party, the BIA.

“I can’t say any more at this time because it’s now up to Roger to exercise his right of reply. When that happens, the rules we’ve got in the Liberal Democrats will be followed.”

Mr Cooper said the allegations were unfounded and malicious: “We are diametrically opposed politically, that is a fact. We’ve worked to a common cause with A Better Bournemouth, that is all.

“I’m the membership secretary of BIA and he isn’t a member. He has never given us any money or support of any kind.”

Cllr West told the Echo he was currently considering his options and could not comment further at this time.