A Reform UK councillor who said she “received no training” has withdrawn her resignation after sending her letter to the wrong council.

Newcastle-under-Lyme borough councillor Christine Duffy wrote in her resignation letter on 4 August that she had decided to step down from her position as she had received "very little or no training for this role".

But after having sent the letter to Kidsgrove Town Council, rather than Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, she changed her mind about quitting.

Electoral Commission rules stated a councillor cannot withdraw their resignation once it has been received by the authority.

But Ms Duffy claimed she withdrew her resignation before the letter had been received by the correct council's officer.

In a statement shared to the party’s local Facebook page, Ms Duffy said: “I am not resigning as the Borough Councillor for the Town ward and I remain committed to representing the residents who elected me.”

Her resignation letter was shared by a local political group, Kidsgrove Independents, who claimed Ms Duffy handed directly to the Clerk of Kidsgrove Town Council.

Ms Duffy hit back at the publication of the letter, writing: “I am appalled that a private letter, provided in confidence to the Clerk of Kidsgrove Town Council, has somehow been obtained by the Kidsgrove Independents and is now being exploited for party political purpose.”

She added: “Rather than indulging in petty party political games, our collective focus should be on serving residents and tackling the issues that matter to people across Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough.My position could not be clearer.

“I remain a Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Councillor for the Town ward and will continue carrying out the role I was elected to do.”

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's chief executive Gordon Mole told the BBC that by the time he had received the letter, the content had been withdrawn.

“If a councillor wishes to resign then they must follow a specific process as set out in the Local Government Act 1972,” he said.

“In this instance a letter was hand-delivered to an incorrect address at Kidsgrove Town Council.

“By the time it was received by me, as the proper officer, I had been notified that the content of the letter had been withdrawn and the councillor concerned continues to serve as a borough councillor.”

It comes months after Kirklees Reform UK councillor Sarah Wood admitted in a meeting she she didn’t understand how the council works.

“I do not understand the constitution. I have not had sufficient time to read that yet,” she said in May.