Four councillors have written a scathing attack of council leader Louise McKinlay before resigning from the Brentwood Conservative group.

The letter, signed by Cllrs Russell Quirk, William Lloyd, Nigel Clarke and Phil Baker, was sent to the council leader and leader of the Brentwood Conservative group today.

It comes after they disagreed with the way a number of local issues had been handled, including the William Hunter Way development.

The resignation will be the second change for Cllr Nigel Clarke within a year. He joined the Conservatives in January after leaving the Lib Dems and said at the time that he disagreed with the way his former group acted on local issues.

Today’s letter said: “It is more and more evident that your tenure over your council and its Conservative group is losing its grip. You lurch from error to error and this is being reflected in local election results with you overseeing the loss of eight Conservative seats since you took over as leader.

“It is clear that you do not have the support of the Brentwood public and that you now no longer serve in the interest of the Brentwood public, merely for your own self preservation and misguided ideology.”

It went on to say: “Your policy is haphazard, ill thought out and void of good ideas and innovation at a time when our council needs these things more than ever. Your poor choice of committee chairmen is severely throttling the prospects of the council’s various functions.

“Many of the decisions that you undertake are against Conservative party policy, especially with regard to matters of transparency, free speech and of a community and localism focus.”

The councillors said they were unable to continue as members of the Brentwood Borough Council Conservative Group while Cllr McKinlay remained as leader and resigned with immediate effect.

But they said they will continue to be members of the Conservative Party and “we will continue to serve our residents who elected us to represent them, their interests and the interests of our borough.

“Our number one priority has and always will be the people of Brentwood.”