Former Lord Mayor of Bradford resigns before trial

Naveeda Ikram was the first Muslim woman to be a lord mayor in the UK

Britain's first female Muslim lord mayor has resigned from Bradford City Council a week before she faces trial over alleged financial irregularities.

Naveeda Ikram will appear in court next week charged with misconduct in a public office by failing to declare a financial interest.

Mrs Ikram, who represented Little Horton for Labour, resigned a day before she would be automatically removed for non-attendance of meetings.

She was lord mayor in 2011/2012.

Mrs Ikram has also resigned from the Labour Party having been suspended in 2015 following her arrest.

Last year she pleaded not guilty to a charge of misconduct in a public office between November 1 2014 and August 31 2015.

'Not attended meetings'

The charge specified while acting as a public officer, namely an elected member of Bradford Council, she sought contracts between a number of district councils and Nexus Assist Ltd, failing to declare a financial interest in that company.

A spokesperson for Bradford Council confirmed that Mrs Ikram had not attended a council meeting for six months and consequently was due to lose her seat on Friday.

"When she was advised of this on Monday 13 November she then enquired for the first time as to whether it would be possible to have her absence approved by the council (and so keep her seat)," she said.

"Under the council's constitution, this was not possible as the time did not allow for an urgent meeting of the council to be called."