THE spectacular fall from grace of Alan Preest was further compounded last week when he was suspended from his only remaining post, that of a district councillor.

This time he is in the doghouse for breaching the council's code of conduct. He has been found to have conducted himself in a manner that could reasonably be regarded as bringing his position as a councillor into disrepute, and with failing to treat others with respect.

Fellow councillors on the Standards Committee have censured the Lydney member and he is now suspended until he has submitted a suitable written apology for his conduct.

Mr Preest told the Review he was saddened and upset by the decision.

He felt he was being pilloried for doing no more than speak his mind – a view also expressed by two more district councillors who contacted the Review this week.

But he is to apologise, saying if his passion and desire to improve Lydney and take the town forward upset anyone with a more sensitive disposition he was sorry.

Mr Preest says that he wants to continue as a councillor but was seriously considering his future in local government.

"All I have ever wanted to do is serve the people of Lydney to the best of my ability. I admit to being outspoken but that is the way I am and it is too late to change.

"It's hard to believe that a year ago I was a county councillor, a member of the County Police Authority, a cabinet member and a district and town councillor. Now the lot has gone.

" I had put the Tesco incident behind me and I was looking forward to the future. Then this was thrown at me. It's hard to believe there is not some kind of ongoing vendetta," he said.

Mr Preest said the complaint followed a meeting he had called in his capacity as a county councillor to discuss ways of improving Lydney's shopping centre. It was held at the town's Greyhound Inn last January.

"It was not an open meeting. Those invited included Tory councillors Terry Glastonbury and Dave Cooksley and three local businessmen. A council employee, a member of the regeneration team, also attended, though not at my invitation.

"I was desperate to achieve something for Lydney. At the time the town's chamber of commerce was not functioning and everyone I met in the High Street was asking what was going on, why there were so many empty properties, and what was the council doing about it. I spoke my mind and said 'nothing was being done'.

"The result is my suspension as a councillor."

Mr Preest said it appeared the meeting had had some effect and rekindled interest in the business community who had now formed a traders' association. They were making up for lost time and hopefully taking the town forward.

A fellow member of the council contacted the Review on Monday, describing Mr Preest's suspension as "an over reaction". He reckoned the inquiry would cost council tax payers several thousand pounds.