Covid-19: Great Yarmouth mayor resigns over breach of rules

Great Yarmouth mayor Sue Hacon was self-isolating after her husband tested positive for Covid-19

A mayor who broke Covid rules and was suspended by a council's Conservative group last week has now resigned.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Mayor Sue Hacon was self-isolating after her husband tested positive for coronavirus, but left her home to get medicine and visited other places.

The decision to resign as from her civic role was announced on Tuesday.

Ms Hacon, who was made mayor in May, previously said she was "really, really sorry" for her "foolish" behaviour.

The announcement that she was standing down as mayor was made at the council's policy and resources committee meeting, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Conservative leader of the council, Carl Smith, said Ms Hacon had written to the authority's chief executive and had also resigned as a member of the Conservative group.

He said: "I do take this very seriously. As a council we have worked very hard to get this message out to our residents. We do have a high number of cases in the borough.

"Being an elected member we have to follow those rules very carefully...and show integrity."

A council spokeswoman said Ms Hacon would continue as a councillor for the Bradwell South and Hopton ward, but as an independent.

'Foolish decision'

Parts of the borough, on the Norfolk coast, had been undergoing enhanced testing after a sharp rise in infections, and figures showed it had England's biggest week-on-week increase in alerts from the NHS Covid-19 app.

Speaking last week after her suspension by her party group, Ms Hacon said she had tested negative before going out and worn a mask but had "made a mistake" and was "deeply in regret".

"It was a foolish decision on the day and if anyone had been in my position, with a husband that needed medication, they might have done the same," she said.

"I know we're in a pandemic and it was a bad blip, but is that your whole future taken away from you for that reason? I really don't know."

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Responding to the news that Ms Hacon had decided to stand down as mayor, the council's Labour group leader Trevor Wainwright said: "It is very disappointing, I'm sure, for Sue's family and friends but unfortunately she brought this on herself.

"Sue has done the right thing by resigning from the post."