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An 'invisible' Tory councillor who refused to take up his post triggering a by-election has been slammed by colleagues.

Sandy Thornton, 79, has been dubbed the 'ghost councillor' after not showing up for May's election count and refusing to take up his seat.

Now a by-election will have to be held in September which will cost the tax payer an estimated £50,000, the Sunday Mail reports.

He has blamed chronic ill-health – but political opponents say he was a paper ­candidate who had no expectation of being elected.

Thornton won a seat in North Lanarkshire as the Tories had their best local election results in Scotland in decades under Ruth Davidson .

(Image: DAILY RECORD)

He was elected after winning 13.3 per cent of the vote in the ­four-seat Fortissat ward but did not even attend the election count.

Five years earlier, Thornton won just 2.6 per cent of the vote.

He has confirmed to council chiefs that he would not take up the seat. A by-election has been set for September 7.

(Image: Wishaw Press)

Tommy Cochrane, SNP councillor for Fortissat, said: “We call him the ghost councillor because we have never seen him. I couldn’t even tell you what he looks like.

"He stood in this ward in 2012, and not one election leaflet was put through people’s doors. He didn’t appear at any polling stations.

“Fast-forward to 2017 and we have exactly the same situation. My feeling is that he was a paper candidate.

“If he was unwell, he could have stood down as a candidate 23 days before the election and someone else could have been nominated.

“My view is that even if you’re ­standing for the Monster Raving Loony Party you should be prepared to be elected because no one knows how the public is going to vote.

“When I stood in 2012, my wife was severely ill and I was looking after a severely disabled son.

“My wife died six weeks later but I still took up my post. The people elected me and I stood up to the mark.”

(Image: PA)

A Tory spokesman said: “Sandy has decided he is unable to fulfil the role of a councillor due to ill health.”

When approached by the Sunday Mail, Thornton said: “I have a medical condition I don’t wish to discuss.

“I spoke to the council chief executive in confidence and I don’t want to discuss it with the press.”

Asked about the cost of the by-election, he said: “Sadly that’s the situation that pertains.”