Former Metro chairman Councillor Chris Greaves has been kicked out of the Conservative Party following a complaint that he had become an informal 45th Labour member on Bradford Council.

Coun Greaves lost his position on the regional transport authority and quit the Tory group on the Council in June amid accusations over a forged letter.

He resigned on a “matter of principle” over a template letter of resignation supplied to the Council by Metro and has since continued as an Independent on the authority.

In October, leader of the Conservative group, Councillor Glen Miller, called for Coun Greaves’s membership of the Conservative Party to be suspended while an investigation was underway.

Coun Miller was angered by Coun Greaves voting with the Labour group on occasion at full council meetings.

It has now been confirmed that Coun Greaves’ membership has been “terminated”.

David Herdson, Shipley Conservative Association chairman, told the Telegraph & Argus: “There was a meeting regarding Chris Greaves where the Shipley Conservative Association make a decision to terminate his membership.

“He still has the opportunity to appeal to the Conservative Party.”

Coun Greaves, whose Wharfedale seat on the Council will be up for election in 2014, said he did not intend to appeal and would continue as an Independent.

He told the T&A: “The whole thing was a stitch up and there is no point in appealing.

“I did not resign in the first place as I had not done anything wrong. I have voted with Labour, I have voted with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, and I have abstained on various issues depending on the quality of the argument.

“It seems that as a Conservative I was not allowed to have an opinion.”

Coun Miller said the Conservative Party suspended Coun Greaves’ membership in October and the local association then recently determined that his membership be terminated with immediate effect.

“Since Coun Greaves is entitled to appeal the decision of the Shipley executive to the Party Board’s disciplinary committee, and in order to not prejudice any such appeal, I can make no further comment at this time.”