THE only two Liberal Democrats on Wyre Forest District Council have sensationally quit the party.

Husband and wife councillors Helen and Peter Dyke say they have become disillusioned with the part that the Lib Dems are playing in the national government and how it is affecting local government and local people.

Between them, the couple have served the Lib Dems as councillors for nearly 30 years.

Mrs Dyke was recently one of the 91 councillors who wrote to a national newspaper objecting to the quickness and the severity of the cuts being handed out by the coalition government.

The duo will continue representing their Aggborough and Spennells ward as Independent councillors and in May Mr Dyke will stand for election under the Independent title.

Mrs Dyke said: “It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. I have been a Lib Dem councillor for getting on 15 years and it was not a decision I made lightly.”

Mr Dyke added: “It was a very difficult decision. I have been a Lib Dem councillor for 13 to 14 years and I have never felt this way before but I just feel totally let down.

“I don’t think people in London know how what they are doing is affecting people at ground level.”

Mrs Dyke said they had both been unhappy with the coalition from the start but that it was the pace and severity of cuts that had most upset them, rather than any specific policy disagreement.

She added: “I know people will question why we didn’t do it before but, like most things, you hope it will get better. “

She said there had never been any pressure on them to side with the Conservatives on the council as a result of the situation in central government.

Mr Dyke said it was important for him to resign from the Lib Dems before the upcoming district council election so that residents were not in any way misinformed before voting.

The duo said that their roles as councillors would be unaffected by them becoming Independents and that they would continue much as before.