A Bolton councillor commended by colleagues for her hard work has resigned with immediate effect.

Cllr Bernadette Eckersley-Fallon, who until this week represented Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill as a Conservative, was first elected in 2019.

Her resignation marks the second high profile departure from Bolton Council in the space of a day, with One Kearsley leader Cllr Paul Heslop already having already announed he was stepping down.

Her ward colleague Cllr Martin Tighe said: “She was a fantastic councillor, she really worked a lot in the community.

“She was instrumental in promoting speed awareness, in getting the speed traps on Chew Moor Lane and across the road at the primary school.”

The Bolton News: Cllr Eckersley-Fallon has now resigned Cllr Eckersley-Fallon has now resigned (Image: Newsquest)

He added: “She’ll be sorely missed by many members of the community here as a councillor and by the other elected members for Westhoughton North and Chew Moor.”

Much of Cllr Eckersley-Fallon’s work was carried out on an individual basis with members of her community looking for help.

Cllr Tighe said: “She did a lot of casework, each individual case couldn’t be publicised because they would include personal matters to those particular individuals.

“But she really did do a lot of good work that wasn’t always publicised.”

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Cllr Eckersley-Fallon was first elected as a Liberal Democrat in the 2019 local elections representing what was then the ward of Westhoughton North and Chew Moor.

But in April 2021 she announced that she was changing parties to join the Conservatives then led by the late Cllr David Greenhalgh and his deputy, and later successor, Cllr Martyn Cox.

Speaking at the time, Cllr Eckersley-Fallon said: “My commitment to Westhoughton remains the same, the hours I put in to being a councillor remains the same, and I believe Conservatives, with Martyn and myself leading the way in Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, can deliver for our area in a more positive and productive way than any other party.”

This time has included the boundary changes at the last set of local elections in May this year that saw her ward redrawn as Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill.

Conservative leader Cllr Martyn Cox said: "I would like to thank Cllr Eckersley-Fallon for her efforts for the council and for the people of Westhoughton."

A by-election to fill the vacant seat will be held at a later date.