A Winchester councillor has come under fire for not doing her job properly.

Tory, Caroline Watts (26), who represents Whiteley, made it to 14 out of a possible 29 council meetings last year.

Now the mother-of-two has been criticised for not belonging to any council committees and being difficult to contact. She recently moved home but appears not to have notified the council of her new address and phone number.

Brenda Hatch, a former Lib-Dem city councillor, complained about Mrs Watts during the public participation session of the cabinet.

Mrs Hatch, who lives in Whiteley, said: "Caroline Watts is not on any committee at the moment. I just wonder if we are being properly represented."

She complained that Mrs Watts, elected in 2003, was difficult to get hold of as her telephone number was not listed on the council's website and she hadn't answered her e-mail.

Mrs Hatch said: "I just feel she should be more active then she appears to be."

The Chronicle tried to contact Mrs Watts, but the council's chief executive's office did not have her new address or phone number.

However, leader of Winchester's Conservative group, Barry Lipscomb, said the accusations were "political mischief-making" and added that Whiteley constituents were being well-served by their other Conservative councillor, Kate Chapman.

Mr Lipscomb said: "Mrs Watts made a natural family move that happens to many of us - there is nothing untoward about it. However, it unfortunately meant she had to stand down from the council and as group leader I am managing with a view to having a May election to replace her, this way no extra expense will be incurred by the rate payer. The important thing is that, in the mean time, the business of representing the people of Whiteley continues.

"We have an excellent councillor in Kate Chapman, she holds surgeries, goes to parish council meetings and she gets involved where she can."

Mr Lipscomb added that as Mrs Chapman was dealing with all Mrs Watts's constituency work, her committee work had been divided up between other Tory councillors.

He continued: "It was suggested in cabinet that the people of Whiteley were under-represented and that is absolutely untrue. In May, people will be able to choose a new councillor and I am happy that we have selected an excellent person for the job."