Windsor and Maidenhead Tory councillors quit amid row over rough sleepers and royal wedding

Two Maidenhead and Windsor councillors have quit in protest amid a row over rough sleepers and the royal wedding.

The Tory-run council was criticised after leader Simon Dudley suggested homeless people should be cleared from Windsor before the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May.

Mr Dudley sparked a wave of outrage with his comments, but managed to survive a no-confidence vote held by the council's Conservative group on Monday night.

Following the vote, Paul Brimacombe and Asghar Masheed immediately resigned as Conservative councillors. They will continue as independents.

In a joint statement, the councillors said: "Immediately following the announcement of the result of the no-confidence vote, Councillor Majeed and Councillor Brimacombe resigned from the Conservative group and departed the meeting.

"It was not considered appropriate by them to wholeheartedly disagree with the will of the group on this fundamental issue and yet to remain within the group.

"With the departure of the last of the few dissenting voices within the Conservative group, possibly an even more cohesive and purposeful Conservative group will emerge.

"Councillors Majeed and Brimacombe will continue to represent the residents of Oldfield and Cox Green respectively as independent Conservative councillors, with the same core values upon which they were elected."

It is expected that the opposition group within the council will attempt to oust the council leader with a no-confidence vote on January 29.

Controversy erupted when Mr Dudley said beggars could present the town in a "sadly unfavourable light" when the royal wedding goes ahead in the spring.

In a letter to police, he complained about "aggressive begging and intimidation", and "bags and detritus" on the streets.

A petition to stop rough sleepers being taken off the streets attracted tens of thousands of signatures, while comedian Russell Brand urged neighbouring Slough Council to donate an existing building to help the homeless in the Windsor area.

Mr Dudley later apologised for his comments and said he was not referring to genuine homeless people, and that he regretted referring to Harry and Ms Markle's wedding at the time.