A Conservative councillor who resigned last week claimed she was refused her old job back because she had depression.

Lucy Allan, 47, from Putney, had depression diagnosed in 2010, following a distressing family bereavement.

Miss Allan said she agreed to take unpaid leave from her role on Wandsworth Council in March and said it was understood she could return.

Her position as chairman of the environment and leisure scrutiny committee and the transport and strategic planning overview committee was replaced by other councillors.

She returned to the council in October ready to take on her former responsibilities.

In a meeting with council leader Councillor Ravi Govindia in February she asked if she could rejoin a committee, but said she was refused.

She said: “I said I was keen to re-establish my role and wanted to get back into that position. I said what are your plans for me to do that?

“He was very clear cut, he said it was not a possibility because he and my colleagues did not have confidence in me.

“I thought that was quite unusual, because even the most junior councillors get to sit on a committee of some sort – it sent out the message that perhaps I was mentally unfit.”

After the meeting she decided to hand in her resignation.

She said she hoped the council would learn from the situation and that she would miss her time as councillor for Southfields.

She said: “I loved doing it. I loved being a voice for other people.

“I think the council needs a little bit of understanding about depression and mental health issues. It upset me.”

Coun Govindia said last week he was sad she had resigned but that he would not comment further on Miss Allan’s resignation