TWO Labour councillors have washed their hands of their district branch of the party.

Husband and wife Alan and Janice Hancock have walked away from the Dearne North Labour group following months of rows and a coup to get rid of the ruling committee.

Their ward colleague Coun Alan Gardiner was chairman of the committee but he and the vice chairman, treasurer and secretary lost their positions at the AGM.

New chairman Alf Mullen says the old committee was ousted because not all councillors are pulling their weight and members wanted the branch to take action.

Mr Mullen backs Coun Gardiner '110 per cent' but is unhappy with the performance of the Hancocks, particularly the fact then Coun Alan Hancock was asking people to text him rather than holding face to face surgeries.

He said the committee would be pushing councillors into being more active in Thurnscoe to show villagers that Labour still cared.

Mr Mullen added: "They have been voted in by the community to represent them and they should be grateful to get the job of being councillor for Dearne North."

The Hancocks dispute allegations they have not been pulling their weight.

Coun Janice Hancock told the Chronicle they had been 'chased out' of the branch by a lengthy campaign against them, which had finally become too much to bear.