Plaid Cymru election candidate pulls out over Neil McEvoy

Essex Havard had been chosen by Plaid Cymru to stand in the Cardiff council ward of Llandaff North

A prospective Plaid Cymru candidate is pulling out of May's local elections because he "cannot bear the prospect" of being in the same group as Neil McEvoy on Cardiff council.

Essex Havard had been chosen to stand for the party in the Llandaff North ward.

But he has resigned after Mr McEvoy was suspended from the council for a month following a tribunal.

Mr McEvoy said he was "not surprised" by Mr Havard's decision.

The Adjudication Panel for Wales found Mr McEvoy, who is also an AM, made a comment to a council official that amounted to bullying behaviour.

It ruled he broke Cardiff council's code of conduct, but did not bring the council into disrepute following an incident outside the city's civil justice centre in July 2015.

Mr McEvoy, who is a city councillor for the ward of Fairwater, had been assisting a council tenant in an application to suspend a warrant of eviction.

Plaid Cymru will decide what action to take this week.

Neil McEvoy described the hearing by the Adjudication Panel for Wales as a "farce"

Writing on his blog, Mr Havard said it was "inexcusable" that Mr McEvoy had not apologised to the official.

Mr McEvoy, who earlier called the panel hearing a "farce", told BBC Wales: "I did not bully anyone, but I tried to look after my constituent.

"I am not surprised to hear that Essex has stood down. Given his political views I was very surprised to see him join Plaid Cymru recently.

"At least now we will have the opportunity to choose a female candidate in Llandaff North. I wish him well and we will get on with the job to clean up our city in every sense."