CITY councillor Joan Bell has resigned from the Labour Group.

Mrs Bell, portfolio holder for community safety and neighbourhood management at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, handed in her resignation yesterday because of issues with the "new party structure".

She told The Sentinel: "I am resigning because I just can't work with the new structure of the Labour Group.

"I have done a lot of soul searching before coming to my decision and it has been a difficult one but I shall continue to be a supporter."

Mrs Bell has been a Labour Party member for 35 years and a city councillor for 17 years.

She added that she has no intentions to join any other party and will become an unaligned councillor.

Labour councillors chose a new leader last week with Councillor Mike Barnes voted in to replace Councillor Joy Garner.