A Tooting councillor has stepped down this week after accepting a job at City Hall.

Ben Johnson, who was a Tooting ward councillor for Labour, is to be a political adviser to Sadiq Khan, former Tooting MP and now the Mayor of London.

In a blog post on the Wandsworth Labour website, Mr Johnson explained he had officially stood down on Thursday, June 30.

He said: "On Thursday, with great regret, I stepped down as a councillor for Tooting Ward.

"Serving the local community, and Tooting Labour Party, for these past six years has been a great honour and an absolute pleasure.

"Our part of London is one of the most welcoming, diverse, and dynamic places to live in the country, and a place I continue to be proud to call my home.

"However, in my professional life, I have accepted a new role as an advisor to our new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Roles in public service such as this come with political restrictions, including a bar from holding elected office, and therefore in order to take on this new job I have had to resign from the council."

Mr Johnson went on to say he was "very sad" to be leaving the role and thanked the people of Tooting for voting for him in 2010 and then again in 2014.

He said: "I’ve enjoyed worked with local campaigns and charities to help make Tooting an even better place to live and work, and have always done my best to help those I have met who have had problems relating to housing, finance or the local area that needed solving.

"I’m equally excited to be going to work for the Mayor of London.

"In my new role, advising him on business and digital matters, I hope to make a real difference for the people of Tooting and for all Londoners."

It is not yet known when a by-election will be called for Mr Johnson's seat.

A previous colleague, Rosena Allin-Khan, has yet to announce any intentions to stand down from her council seat after winning the Tooting by-election called when Mr Khan vacated his seat in May when he became the Mayor of London.