A LEADING councillor has resigned from a police authority after it emerged he was facing criminal charges in relation to a car crash that claimed the life of a church minister.

A LEADING councillor has resigned from a police authority after it emerged he was facing criminal charges in relation to a car crash that claimed the life of a church minister.

The Rev Stephanie Neal died in an accident involving a Mazda 626 driven by Suffolk county councillor Harold Mangar on the A145 at Shadingfield, near Beccles, on March 22.

Mr Mangar, the Suffolk county councillor for Ipswich Bridge ward, will now appear at Lowestoft Magistrates' Court in December facing a charge of careless driving.

He has now revealed that he has resigned from his position on Suffolk Police Authority, but will continue to serve as a county councillor.

He previously said: “The most import-ant thing to remember is that a life has been lost and it's a tragedy to her family and friends and all who knew her.

“It is also something I will never forget.”