Lyme Regis councillor Daryl Turner has resigned his Dorset Council seat – launching an attack on the council leadership in a parting social media post.

He has frequently questioned decisions made by the Conservative group, although a member of the party.

Last year he fell out with council leader Spencer Flower after a comment was made, when people thought the microphones were off, that Cllr Turner would never stand for the party again.

It came in July after Cllr Turner voted against the Conservative group in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion which sought to make the council more democratic by using the committee system, rather than be cabinet led. Cllr Spencer had said there was no obligation at the time on Conservatives to vote in any particular way on the issue.

The off-mic comments led to a formal complaint by Cllr Turner and the section of the recording where the remark was made was erased from the internet – the council claiming it had no need to be there as it was not part of the meeting, having been made during a break.

However the edited recording kept in a short section just before the break where two councillors used a swear word after one of them had asked for the ten-minute pause in proceedings to put his children to bed.

Cllr Turner has been a member of the council since it was created in 2019 and before that served on the former West Dorset District Council.

He has been everything many people think a local councillor should be – passionate about his area, questioning of authority and determined to dig out the truth, despite attempts to hamper that.

In his social media post Mr Turner said: "Because of issues within the council I can't find it in my heart to continue. I wanted innovation, working at pace and, to be honest, a little less risk aversion…

"Dorset Council will continue increasing your council tax even though it's one of the highest in the country and will still be overspent."

He said he hoped the electors in his Lyme Regis and Charmouth ward would elect a new councillor with "plenty of get up and go. We don't want any of the old school, divisive versions… We need and indeed deserve much better. Get the headlines you want and not those which drive the area and councils downwards."

In a statement Cllr Flower said: "The resignation of Daryl Turner as a Dorset Councillor has been anticipated for some months, following his move to Wales. I am aware of his deep-rooted disappointment when he was not offered a position on the Cabinet following the May 2019 elections and it was equally disappointing for all his colleagues that Daryl found being team player such a challenge. However, Daryl has been a faithful councillor to his ward and we all wish him well with his new life closer to his family in Wales."