A Sinn Féin councillor expelled from the party after being convicted of sexual assault has resigned his council seat.
Causeway Coast and Glens representative Cathal McLaughlin was found guilty at trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on July 11.
He was convicted of a charge under section three of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 and sentencing was deferred until August 8.
In a statement at the weekend, Sinn Féin said it had written to McLaughlin "upon receipt of information that he has been convicted in a Scottish court of a serious criminal offence".
“Our thoughts are with the victim of this serious crime of sexual assault," it said.
The party said McLaughlin had not raised the legal action with colleagues.
“Cathal McLaughlin failed to inform the party at any stage that he was subject to criminal proceedings," he said.
“Given the severity of the offence, his membership of Sinn Féin is terminated with immediate effect.”
In a statement a spokeswoman for Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said McLaughlin "resigned from his position" on July 23.
It is understood Sinn Féin members in north Antrim were informed by phone message on Saturday that their former colleague had been expelled.
A long-standing Sinn Féin representative, McLaughlin is a former member of Ballymoney Borough Council.
He was later co-opted to Causeway Coast and Glens council to replace Philip McGuigan who had been chosen to fill colleague Daithi McKay's assembly seat following his resignation from Stormont that year.
