DR Rosemary Thomas, Waverley deputy leader and Farnham ward councillor for 12 years, has announced she will not stand in May's council elections.

Dr Thomas, Liberal Democrat councillor for the Farnham Waverley ward, says she will miss local politics but feels 12 years is "long enough" and cites adversarial party politics and a "local difficulty" as the reasons for her decision.

She says she was likely to have been voted Lib-Dem leader a year into the new council, when the position can go to the vote, which would have made her leader of the whole council if the Lib-Dems were to regain control from the Conservatives on May 1.

But despite this she says: "I've had enough after 12 years. I feel there should be a limit of 12 years on every councillor because you become institutionalised and you start to think of things from a Waverley perspective.

"As a councillor, you're constrained by party politics to be adversarial, and this applies to all parties. Some people enjoy what's called the cut and thrust of that but to my mind there are issues where the public interest and the political interest conflict.

"The highly charged political atmosphere has been increased because the Liberal Democrats have a great chance of taking the (South West Surrey) seat. I think the current climate means you are expected to dominate through personality and party politics, but I've tried to make an impact through hard work."

Dr Thomas added that a likely influx of certain Farnham town councillors onto Waverley council following May's election also prompted her decision.

Mentioning no names, Dr Thomas said: "There are more obligations to behave in a proper way on Waverley council, obligations which regulate personal behaviour and the pursuit of personal vendettas."

As part of an electoral ward shake-up, Dr Thomas's Waverley ward is being reduced from a three-councillor to a two-councillor seat and is being renamed Moor Park ward. Standing in the new ward will be current town councillor and former mayor of Farnham Victor Scrivens.

"I don't feel I'm going out on a low, she added. "I think most people think well of me."

l Rosemary Thomas's advice for council newcomers - page 8.