Ten councillors have resigned from the Liberal Democrats in protest at a decision to reinstate two party members at the centre of a race slur row.

Three members on Adur District Council and seven from Lancing Parish Council said last night they would form the Lancing Independent Group.

The resignations follow the national party's decision to reinstate Steve and Doris Martin, two members who had been thrown out of the East Worthing, Adur, Lancing and Sompting branch of the Lib Dems earlier this year.

Mike Ferris, chairman of the branch who has also decided to leave and whose wife Denise is one of the parish councillors to resign, said: "The Martins had upset a lot of people.

"Then there was the incident with accusing Pat Beresford, the former Lib Dem leader of the parish council, that he was a racist bigot."

Mr Beresford resigned in February this year following the accusations, which he denied.

Mr Ferris said: "To this day they have never said why they said it and have not apologised.

"We asked the Martins to leave the party. The Regional Executive, based in Brighton, got involved and they too backed us up.

"The Martins went to the English Appeals Panel and won their appeal on October 14."

The Adur District councillors to become independent are Joy Hartley, Sharon Wood and Barbara Runnalls. Roy Gibson will be the only remaining Lib Dem on the parish council. Doris and Steve Martin said they had no comment.

The seven parish councillors to quit are Pamela Ferris, Sharon Wood, Stella Carter, Denise Ferris, Joy Hartley, Pamela Pashley, Shirley Rance.