A Conservative councillor has quit the party claiming unfair treatment by council leader Kevin Davis.

Coun Mary Clark will now serve as an independent in her Old Malden ward after resigning from the Kingston Conservatives on Friday afternoon.

She lodged a formal complaint with the Conservative party headquarters about Coun Davis’ behaviour but it was not upheld by the party after it said it found no evidence to support her claims.

The fall-out involved Coun Clark, who is also deputy mayor, being removed from sitting on council committees - something she said she had been promised she would be able to do.

It is not the first time Coun Clark has fallen out with her party. She had promised to quit as a member before she served as a councillor in 2012 when the Tories turned on her for breaking non-partisan rules and criticising the mayor of Kingston.

In a press statement released to the Surrey Comet, Coun Davis said she had been removed from committees because she was “struggling” with her responsibilities.

Coun Clark, who is currently serving as deputy mayor, also claims she was unfairly dismissed as chair of the Maldens and Coombe neighbourhood committee on October 1 and her other committee responsibilities in July.

She said: “It is with deep sadness that I feel compelled to resign from the Kingston Conservative Group.

“My decision is chiefly due to unfair treatment from Kevin Davis and his behaviour.

“Earlier this year I accepted the role of deputy mayor on the condition I would retain my committee appointments.

“With no explanation I was removed from nearly all appointments in July.”

She claimed Coun Davis shouted at her and forced her to leave his office during a meeting about her positions leaving her “shaken, upset and humiliated”.

Coun Clark said: “I lodged a formal complaint with Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).

“I am currently considering pursuing a formal complaint under the council's code of conduct.

“I was further humiliated recently when some Conservative colleagues ignored me as the sitting neighbourhood committee co-chair.

“I was publicly ousted in exactly the way Coun Davis had told me it would happen weeks before.”

She claimed the investigation by the CCHQ was flawed and unfair. She also alleged a Kingston Conservative member called her “disloyal” because she abstained on two votes – funding for the Rose Theatre and the bi-weekly recycling contract.

Coun Davis’ statement added: “After many years of working with Mary it is a great shame that things have reached this stage.

“The Conservative Group have been mindful of the fact that Mary has struggled with her very heavy responsibilities as deputy mayor.

“There was a dispute between the group and Mary over whether she could or could not serve as a member or chair a whole range of committees and this was something we were not able to resolve.”