INDEPENDENT politician Patrick Clarke is to appeal a decision to strip him of his role as a councillor.
The former Newry, Mourne and Down councillor was disqualified from politics for three years in a landmark ruling by acting local government standards commissioner Ian Gordon last week.
Clarke is the first councillor in the north found to have broken the local government code of conduct since its introduction in 2014.
He was disqualified following convictions for sexual assault and fraud.
However the 42-year-old from Castlewellan, Co Down, told the Mourne Observer the sanctions were "excessive" and said he would appeal the decision in the High Court.
Mr Clarke had resigned as a councillor before last week's ruling but later changed his mind.
