The resignation of an Oxford city councillor has prompted one colleague to launch an outspoken attack on the authority's leaders.

Later editions of the Oxford Mail revealed yesterday that Liberal Democrat councillor Catherine Hodgkinson, who represented Quarry ward, Headington, had resigned.

Cllr Hodgkinson, of Demesne Furze, Headington, refused to comment but a statement from the city council's Lib Dem group, which runs the administration in an alliance with the Green group, said she had resigned for personal reasons. The council's electoral services manager, Martin John, said Cllr Hodgkinson's post would remain vacant until local elections in May 2002.

Fellow Liberal Democrat and Quarry ward councillor George Kershaw claimed Cllr Hodgkinson quit because she was not properly consulted about which Liberal Democrat councillor should chair the Headington area comm- ittee.

Cllr Kershaw added there were serious divisions within the Liberal Democrat group and added: "The four Liberal Democrat members of the Executive Board are behaving like a bunch of Tories.

"If they want to get the group behind them, they need to start behaving like Liberal Democrats rather than Tories."

The chairman of the Liberal Democrat group, Cllr Stephen Fairweather-Tall, said: "The Executive Board members were elected by the group in a free and fair ballot and I am sure they will continue to exercise their responsibilities for the benefit of all residents in Oxford."

He added: "Catherine has always worked very hard for the people of Headington, and indeed everyone in Oxford. I am sorry that she has gone."