An Aberdeen councillor, who is awaiting sentencing for sexual assault, has been moved into an office on his own by bosses.
Former depute provost Alan Donnelly was last month convicted of carrying out a sexual assault on a man at a function, and is now awaiting sentencing.
He has been stripped of his membership of the Conservative party and all his committee positions by the ruling administration.
However, the 65-year-old remains a councillor for Torry and Ferryhill despite mounting calls for him to go – including from his former group leader Douglas Lumsden.
It has now emerged that Donnelly has been relegated from his office with former Conservative colleagues and is in a room on his own. But it is still in the same hallway as the Tories and the opposition Liberal Democrat councillors.
Last night, the SNP opposition group said that, while he was no longer a Tory, he would continue working with the ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent administration.
SNP depute leader Jackie Dunbar said: “The rumours in the townhouse are that he has been removed from administration in name only and will be continuing to work with them as usual.”
Last night an administration source said that there were a limited numbers of offices to which he could be moved and had consistently backed calls for him to resign.
He added: “It is now solely a matter for councillor Donnelly.”