Maryport publican George Kemp has been sacked from the town council for non-attendance.

He was elected in May as an independent councillor, but had not attended a single meeting. 

Mr Kemp claimed the town council had been trying to take away land outside the Middle Tap pub, which he owns.

He said: "Allerdale wants to turn it into a car park and that is being driven by the town council. It is a personal attack.

"The land has been used by the Middle Tap for many years.

"In previous times the owners used to pay a fee to Allerdale until it was discovered that Allerdale did not own it.

"The council has tried to take my car park at the front of the Middle Tap. 

"My message to the people who voted me on to the council is that I am not prepared to sit at a table with people who are trying to destroy me."

He claimed ownership of the land remained in dispute.

An Allerdale spokeswoman said: "The council has applied to the Land Registry to formally register this site in Senhouse Street.

" The council has maintained this land and licensed it for others to use for a number of years.

"The Land Registry is currently going through its consultation process and we are expecting further information from them which will inform the next steps."

Mr Kemp is adamant, however, that ownership of the land is not clear and establishing a car park there would not only affect the Middle Tap but also the Golden Lion Hotel, which would lose three of its car parks.

Mr Kemp had previously served one term as an independent Allerdale councillor but changed to UKIP while still on the council.

He stood as a UKIP candidate in this year's borough elections but lost his seat to Labour's Billy Pegram. 

At the same time, he stood for the town council's Netherhall ward as an independent candidate and won one of the four seats available. 

On October 13, Paul Bramley, town council clerk, wrote to Mr Kemp reminding him that he had not attended any meetings since his election.

He was warned that failure to attend another meeting would result in him being "vacated" from his position.

Last week, Mr Bramley wrote again telling him he had no ceased to be a councillor and his vacancy would be advertised.

Mr Bramley said the question of the Middle Tap car park was raised at council three years ago, long before Mr Kemp stood as a councillor.

He said: "There were questions raised about the ownership of the land at that time.

"We, the clerks, reported to the council that as we did not own the land we had no authority over it and the matter was dropped. It has never been raised at a council meeting since." 

Mr Kemp refuted that and claimed the move to turn the land into an 'unnecessary' car park was being driven by Maryport councillors.