Married Labour councillor couple finally removed after failing to show up for six months

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A by-election now looms after the council relieved the duo of their duties

A married Welsh couple who both served as Labour councillors have been stripped of their seats after failing to show up at meetings for more than half a year.

Jules and Bob Rogers had been elected to represent the Abersychan and Cwmavon ward on Pontypool Community Council - but did not attend a single council meeting for at least six months.

Pontypool Community Council was left with no choice but to formally declare both positions vacant, the BBC revealed.

Two seats on the council now need to be filled, and local residents face a tight deadline to determine how that happens.

Voters in the Abersychan and Cwmavon ward have until 5pm on August 25 to trigger a by-election.

A minimum of 10 registered electors from the ward must submit written requests for a poll to be held.

Those requests need to be directed in writing to Stephen Vickers at Torfaen County Borough Council.

Mr Vickers serves as both the chief executive of Torfaen Borough Council and the returning officer for the area.

Should the 10-signature threshold be reached, he will be obliged to schedule a by-election within 60 days of the deadline.

If fewer than 10 electors come forward, the community council will instead appoint replacements through co-option at the earliest practical opportunity.

Mr Rogers previously sought election to Torfaen Borough Council in 2022.

He stood as a Labour candidate in the Abersychan ward, but failed to secure one of the three available seats.

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Before entering local politics, he was the editor of the Pontypool Free Press and had also been employed as a steelworker.

With just five days remaining before the deadline expires, electors who wish to see a by-election held must act swiftly.

In Wales, there are 1,234 local councillors elected to county or county borough councils.

The majority of rural areas - and a handful of urban areas - are also served by a town or community council.

There are over 8,000 community and town councillors in Wales.

News of the duo's dismissal comes just weeks after a Labour council leader who called flag raisers “criminals” and “nonces” had a formal complaint against him dismissed.

Jeremy Newmark, the leader of Hertsmere Borough Council in Hertfordshire, allegedly called Nigerians “crooks” and said they “cannot be trusted,” it has been claimed.

Former borough mayor Alpha Bird Collins told the Mail he had been invited to a business conference in Liverpool that was organised by Nigerian entrepreneurs during his stint in power.

The complaint alleges that Mr Newmark found out about the plans to attend the conference and said: “You cannot just go there like that, we have to do our due diligence because you know the Nigerians are crooks.”