A LONG-SERVING councillor has pledged to continue serving Wallingford residents after quitting the town council to spend more time with her family.

Lynda Atkins resigned from the council last week "for family reasons" after 13 years and two stints as mayor, in 2005 and last year.

She said she would continue to campaign for improvements and new facilities in her role as independent county councillor for Wallingford.

Her resignation could now prompt a by-election if 10 local voters request one, or someone could be co-opted: invited to serve as a councillor provided there was no opposition.

Ms Atkins said: "A by-election could cost about £2,500 but that's how democracy works.

"I will still attend meetings once a month in my role as a county councillor so I will be keeping in touch with what is going on but for family reasons I needed to cut down on my responsibilities.

"I have been chairman of the council's finance and property committee and that takes up quite a bit of my time but I will make sure there is a smooth handover.

"Serving as a town councillor for 13 years is quite something but there had to be a point at which I stood down."

Ms Atkins is also county chairman for the Royal British Legion and works as an NHS consultant on capital projects.

She told fellow councillors in a letter: "My family circumstances have changed significantly in the past six weeks, and as a result I want to have more time available to spend with family members.

"I cannot do that and do justice to my work as a town councillor so standing down is the best thing for me to do.

"I will continue to represent local people as their county councillor so I will also continue, in that capacity, to work with the town council on a number of issues where our responsibilities and interests overlap.

"I will also complete the work I started during my term as mayor in fundraising for, and organising, the installation of defibrillators in the town, and work with the office staff and relevant councillors to ensure that the other work I’ve been involved in as a town councillor is handed over effectively to whoever will be picking it up.

"Should there be a delay in that happening, I’ll do my best to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks in the meantime, and I will always be very pleased to have the opportunity to help the council whenever I can.

"I have enjoyed my time on the town council tremendously, and I look forward to seeing you all at town Council meetings when I come to present my county council reports, not to mention around the town we all care about and work for."

It is the third resignation from the town council this year.

In the summer Alec Hayton resigned together with Kevin Harvey and they have been replaced by Lee Upcraft and Matthew Cockman in a by-election.