A DENBIGHSHIRE councillor is stepping down from Plaid Cymru after being involved in the party for more than 40 years.

However, Cllr Gwyneth Kensler has assured all residents of the Denbigh Central ward she represents, that she will continue in that role as county councillor.

Cllr Kensler has been married for 56 years to a Native American, born on an Indian reservation in North Dakota, USA and the pair have two daughters together.

She was elected as a town and county councillor in 1995 and, since then, has fought every election and won, something she describes as a 'great honour and privilege'.

She remained a town councillor in Denbigh for 10 years and joined Plaid Cymru when she moved from Mexico City to live in Denbigh in 1980.

Before being elected councillor, she taught Spanish and French to A level standard at Howell's School in Denbigh.

In 1997, Cllr Kensler stood as a Plaid candidate in the parliamentary elections in the newly created Vale of Clwyd constituency; although she lost to Chris Ruane, she did increase Plaid's share of the vote by 2%.

Giving her reasons for stepping down from her role with the political party, Mrs Kensler said: "Naturally, Plaid has changed since I first joined and I now feel that I no longer fit in, locally. Of course, I have suffered verbal abuse and criticism during my time with Plaid and as a councillor but that was nothing compared to the nastiness that is on social media these days."