Councillor who solicited a sex worker resigns from party

Rhiannon James, local democracy reporter

A Newport City councillor has resigned from his party after he admitted soliciting a sex worker.

Cllr Chris Evans represents Rogerstone and will continue to do so as an Independent councillor, despite resigning from Newport Independents Party.

The councillor’s solicitor, Andrew Collingbourne, confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he had resigned from the party.

Mr Collingbourne said that Cllr Evans was “not very well at the moment” and would not comment until he was feeling better.

On January 6, Cllr Evans appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court after being found in a car with a sex worker in Commercial Road, in Newport’s Pill area.

Cllr Evans was conditionally discharged for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £22 victim surcharge for the offence, which happened last May.

The councillor was caught by a police officer who was chasing a wanted man through an Asda car park.

At magistrates’ court, Rod Young, representing Cllr Evans, said: “He did not go through with it and no money ever changed hands. He accepts a provision was made for an arrangement of sexual services. The officer recognised him. Had he not been a well-known face, he would not have been here today.”

The Rogerstone councillor also lost his job as a senior advertising manager at Newsquest, which publishes the South Wales Argus and The National.

Newport City Council has previously said it had “no powers” to disqualify Cllr Evans.