A LIBERAL Democrat convicted of breaking election law has decided to stand down from Liverpool Council after months of pressure.

Cllr Steve Hurst will be standing down from his Wavertree seat in May when the next local elections take place.

In December last year, the firefighter was convicted of delivering a leaflet titled “Walton Scab,” attacking sitting Labour councillor Pauline Walton and her firefighter husband, Keith.

The Labour opposition have run a prolonged campaign to force him out of office after the court case, which has included three motions to full council meetings calling for his resignation.

The matter of whether he should stand again as a councillor deeply divided his own party.

Croxteth Cllr Nadia Stewart, whose midnight defection to the Lib-Dems, in May, 2007, kept them in power, will also stand down in May.

And more prominent councillors are expected to announce they are standing down in the coming weeks.

Cllr Stewart said she was standing down as she was likely to be leaving the city soon because her partner, James, was moving jobs.