HUSBAND and wife Graham and Kay Sowerby have quit Kingswear Parish Council to concentrate on their businesses.

Graham was vice chairman and had held his seat for five years, Kay had served for two years.

The couple both ann– ounced their resignations at last week's council annual meeting.

Graham said: 'We run two businesses – a guesthouse at Hillhead and a holiday cottage business in south Devon. We felt that we needed to concentrate more on the businesses.

'I have enjoyed my time on the council. It was a difficult decision to make but we decided that it was time to move on.'

Graham said: 'It is purely down to volume of work. Little did I realise the volume of work that parish councillors actually put in. My colleagues do put a huge amount of time into being a councillor.'

Parish council chairman Jonathan Hawkins said that the couple's resignations had come as a 'surprise' and added: 'They will be missed and I thank them very much for all the hard work they have put in.'

Mr and Mrs Sowerby both represented the Hillhead area and Cllr Hawkins said it was important to try to get new candidates from the same area to fill the two seats.

'We will be leafleting homes and knocking on doors in the Hillhead area for the next few weeks and we would hope to have new councillors in position by July at the latest,' he added.