The chairman of Greenwich Liberal Democrats has left the party - with just weeks before the local elections.

Greenwich Lib Dems made the announcement yesterday (April 7) saying Chris Smith had resigned "for personal reasons and with immediate effect".

Mr Smith, who was also the party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Greenwich and Woolwich, said: "I'm very, very sad that it's come to this but it was a collection of stuff really."

The politician, whose forthright blog has now been deleted, said some people in the party had found his management style too "strong-willed".

And Mr Smith, who claims he has been being called a "f*****g yellow Tory b*****d" in the street, said: "I was feeling very stressed out and ground down by constant abuse."

He added that his personal politics were not "in tune" with the Lib Dems - a party he has now left.

Mr Smith added: "I didn't want to leave friends and colleagues in the lurch but sometimes things come to a head. I wish them all the best."