A Town councillor has resigned from Labour slamming the party for its position on Brexit, and response to the anti-Semitism crisis and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

On Saturday, Weshoughton Town Councillor Samantha Watkin announced on Twitter she had quit the party after being a member for five and half years.

In a series of tweets, Ms Watkin, who has previously served as Mayor of Westhoughton, said she was "sad" to be leaving Labour, but did not rule out a return to the party in the future.

She said: "Last night I quit the Labour Party. It was a incredibly difficult decision to make after five and a half years of membership and I’m sad to go.

"The lack of action on anti-Semitism, the position on Brexit and the defending of Assange are things I cannot and will not support.

"I will be always be grateful for the opportunities that the Labour Party gave me and the amazing people that I canvassed and leafleted with across Bolton. Maybe one day I will rejoin the party, I hope I do."

In recent months a number of local and national politicians have resigned from Labour ­— notably seven Pro-EU MPs in February.