A split has emerged among independent councillors in Flintshire due to unrest over the main grouping entering a deal with Labour.

Flintshire Council was run until recently by Labour's 29 councillors with the support of six members of the Eagle independent group headed by Arnold Woolley.

Recently elected council leader Dave Hughes announced this week he was also bringing members of the Independent Group led by Helen Brown into the administration.

The Labour leader said building a consensus was important as the authority faces an estimated budget gap of £38.4m for the next financial year.

The decision saw the number of Labour-held cabinet seats drop from seven to six, with the two independent camps taking two each.

The Independent Group was previously the council's main opposition and at one stage last year had as many as 26 members under the leadership of Bernie Attridge.

However, numbers have now halved to 13 following a series of departures triggered by this week's announcement.

Six of the councillors have left to form their own group known as the "True Independents".

Andy Hughes, who is one of the members, said he felt let down by his former allies.

The Connah's Quay Golftyn ward councillor said: “People voted for us as independent councillors to be scrutinising Labour and to make sure they are being held to account.

“Now, after two and a half years of being so anti-Labour in private meetings and across the chamber, to decide to go into coalition is just bizarre.

“The True Independent Group has been formed and we will be a proper opposition to the current administration, which isn’t what people voted for.”

A further three of those who have quit the original Independent Group are currently listed as "unattached" on the council's website.

They include Queensferry and Sealand councillor Dale Selvester, who said he did not wish to be associated with Labour.

In a post on Facebook, he said: “At the last independent meeting I attended, I voiced my concerns regarding supporting and assisting the Labour Party with the administration of the council.

“I cannot associate myself with this party nor help or support them. With this in mind, I have made the decision to leave the Independent Group.”

However, Bill Crease, deputy leader of the Independent Group said the decision to join with Labour was taken as the council faces the possibility of having to declare itself bankrupt by issuing a section 114 notice.

Defending the move in a post on the Connah's Quay community group on Facebook, he said: “I stood on a platform of people not politics. The county council is facing a huge financial problem, so serious in fact that a section 114 notice is possible, effectively declaring ourselves bankrupt.

“If FCC falls then unelected commissioners will be appointed by Westminster or Cardiff.

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“They’ll then simply cut services and staffing with no consideration of the needs of residents.

“I could stand on the sidelines throwing stones and calling names or I can roll my sleeves up. I have decided to roll my sleeves up.”

The changes mean there are now four separate independent groups on the council.

They also include Flintshire People’s Voice, a five-member group of former Labour councillors who quit the party earlier this year after accusing its leaders of being “stuck in a rut”.

The remaining opposition is comprised of three Lib Dems (three), four independents listed as either non-aligned or “unattached” and one Conservative councillor.