A LEADING councillor has resigned from Maldon Council’s Conservative group after a complaint was made to police while she was grieving for her daughter.

Maldon district councillor Miriam Lewis has nowstood down from the council’s Conservative group, despite remaining a member of the national political party.

She now stands as a non-aligned member of the council.

Mrs Lewis said she could not remain in the group after she believes a complaint was made about her by another member to Essex Police in February, two months after the death of her daughter, Natalie Lewis-Hoyle.

A complaint of malfeasance - misconduct in public office - was made in relation to an incident when Mrs Lewis served as council leader in 2016.

Mrs Lewis said: “I was made aware that a complaint had gone into the police and that I was being investigated for malfeasance.

“There was no basis for it whatsoever. The police were brought in because it was a complaint that had to be validated. The police never took it to a formal investigation.

“I was made aware around February-March time, and it was put forward in April.

“This was around the time when I was in a horrible state having just lost my daughter and it being the run up to an emotionally charged and difficult inquest.”

Natalie Lewis-Hoyle died in December aged 28 after being found unresponsive in her home in Heybridge.

Her inquest held in April reached an open verdict but revealed she had been in a “toxic” relationship, suffering mental abuse known as gaslighting.

Prime Minister Theresa May has since backed Mrs Lewis’ ongoing project “Chat With Nat” which she is setting up to help those suffering gaslighting, when the issue was raised by Maldon MP John Whittingdale in the House of Commons.

Mrs Lewis added: “Whilst I had the Prime Minister giving me her full support in the House of Commons, all this was going on in the background.

“It made it impossible to sit in the group when there were people prepared to put me through that additional, unnecessary distress and anxiety, I had to resign from the Conservative group.

“I am still a Conservative Party member and am very proud to be.”

Mrs Lewis gave her reasons for leaving the Conservative group at a full meeting of the district council on Thursday.

The recording of the meeting was cut off during her speech.

A council spokesman said: “Part of the recording was removed from publication to avoid publishing defamatory material.

“We understand that a complaint was made to Essex Police in regards to Cllr Mrs Lewis. We further understand this matter is now closed.”

Maldon Conservative group leader Mark Durham said: “I was sorry that councillor Mrs Lewis made her decision to leave.

“I and others within the Conservative group hope to see her return and we wish her well during this extremely difficult time.”