VETERAN borough councillor Pat Tyrrell has announced his retirement due to ill-health.

Mr Tyrrell - who has served on the council for more than 20 years, representing the Castlefields ward - is currently receiving treatment for a serious heart condition.

He spent March in Halton Hospital and he and his family have decided he is too ill to continue to serve his constituents.

His son, Paul, told the Weekly News: 'My father has served the community for more than 20 years but is now too ill to continue.

'He has been receiving treatment for a heart condition and this has left him in an exhausted state.

'My father would like to thank everyone in his constituency for the support he has received over the years.'

On Monday, Mr Tyrrell is due to appear at Knutsford Crown Court to face two charges of electoral fraud.

The case against the ex-mayor was put back to allow an expert witness to scrutinise handwriting evidence.

Mr Tyrrell is to be tried on two charges of personation. The prosecution alleges signatures were forged on electoral documents.

The 75-year-old was arrested by plain-clothes officers at his Runcorn home in August 2004.

Police carried out an early-morning raid after suspecting him of electoral fraud connected with the local and European elections in June of that year.

Cllr Tyrrell has been a Labour councillor of the Castlefields ward for more than 20 years and was once chairman of the county council. The allegations are under the Local Elections (Pilots) Act 2004, which refers to filling in ballot forms in the absence of the voter.

Although the police completed their side of the investigation in November 2004, the case has since been brought to court by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Cllr Tyrrell had a 605 majority when re-elected as Labour councillor in the 2004 election.

The grandfather and father-of-four outstripped his two Labour colleagues.