A TYLDESLEY councillor has suffered a stroke and is being treated in hospital.

Cllr Robert Bleakley, aged 44, was taken to Bolton Royal Infirmary yesterday after complaining of headaches and dizziness.

He had felt unwell while driving home from his Liverpool workplace on May 6 and after feeling unwell had booked an appointment to see his GP.

On the morning of his GP appointment on May 12, his step-father, realising his condition, took him straight to A&E.

Bleakley, who has been a councillor for more than 10 years, was then admitted to the H3 stroke unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital and a scan confirmed he had suffered a stroke.

His condition is not yet known.

Cllr Bleakley has made the headlines on a number of occasions while in office, most recently for racking up a £2,400 taxpayer-funded phone bill after sending sexist and abusive messages and calling premium rate sex lines from his council phone.

He has previously been accused of watching pornography on his work computer and in 2004 was disqualified for three years after he verbally abused a female cleaner at Wigan Town Hall.

He was suspended again for six months in 2010 after being accused of bullying an ex-policewoman who was working as a community safety officer at the time- branding her "that woman" during meetings.

He has also been investigated by police over accusations of misconduct in a public office but was told he would face no criminal charges.

Back in September 2014 Wigan Council chief executive Donna Hall said Mr Bleakley has a "problem with women" based on text messages she was shown - a claim that Mr Bleakley has strenuously denied.

Former councillor and Community Action Party leader and founder Peter Franzen said he spoke to Cllr Bleakley last week regarding complaints against him by Wigan Council and said "he sounded extremely distressed".

Mr Franzen added: "I expect that, a modicum of decency providing, you will join me in wishing Robert a speedy and full recovery and an early return to his council duties and activities, for which he is so well respected in Tyldesley ward and throughout the borough.

"It is unlikely that Robert will be able to attend the next council meeting.

"On his request I convey his apologies."

A spokesperson for Wigan Council said: “We wish Cllr Robert Bleakley a speedy recovery."

Cllr Bleakley's condition is not yet known.