A councillor has stepped down from his £10,000 role as a health board chairman.

Labour Durham county councillor Keith Murray-Hetherington attended only eight out of a possible 78 council meetings in two years, while still claiming his basic councillor's monthly allowance of £577.42 (£600.50 since October).

He became embroiled in a row with council leader, Coun Ken Manton, earlier this year, who called for Coun Murray-Hetherington to resign his seat in the Stanley ward.

He remains on the county council but yesterday said he will step down as chairman of the Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT), a post worth at least £10,000 a year.

Coun Murray-Hetherington, a magistrate, said: "It is with regret that I have decided to tender my resignation as chairman of Derwentside PCT, with effect from May 1.

"The decision does not come easily. However, I feel that I need to spend more time concentrating on my other personal commitments."

He wished the trust every success in the future.

Coun Murray-Hetherington has been chairman of the PCT since it was formed last April. He was the country's youngest civic leader at the age of 26 when he became chairman of Derwentside District Council, but failed to attend his count when re-elected to the county council in June 2001.

Judith Lund, of Lanchester, near Consett, formerly the trust's vice-chairman, will become acting chairman while a replacement is sought.