THOUSANDS of flyers are being put through doors demanding the resignation of a councillor who defected to the Conservatives days after being elected as an independent.

Cllr Derek Borthwick sparked outrage after approaching the Tories about joining them on Bournemouth council within 24 hours of the final election results being announced.

Now 3,500 flyers have been printed by local resident Fiona Dougherty-Price, who also stood as an independent in Cllr Borthwick’s ward of Throop and Muscliff.

She stood without the blessing of long-serving independent councillors Anne Rey and Ron Whittaker and was not elected, coming just behind two Conservative candidates and ahead of a third.

She said 1,500 of the flyers had already been put through people’s doors. “They are disgusted,” she said. “People are chasing me down the road saying it’s disgusting – mainly elderly people that really rate Ron Whittaker and are really upset about this.”

The flyer, headed “Election stop press”, says: “As local residents, we are calling for Cllr Borthwick to resign his seat.

“If you feel the same, please contact Cllr Borthwick c/o Bournemouth Town Hall and urge him to do the honourable thing and resign.” Independent Cllr Anne Rey said: “I hope residents will put enough pressure on him to do the honourable thing and step down and call a by-election.

“Some people are saying he should pay for the by-election, which costs about £5,000.”

Cllr Borthwick has been invited to the next meeting of the area forum for Throop, Muscliff, Strouden, Townsend and Holdenhurst, to be held on June 2, 7pm, at Bournemouth School for Girls, where the first item on the agenda is “Meet your ward councillors”.

He was unavailable for comment yesterday.