A council by-election is to be held in the Wigan ward of Leigh South after the resignation of long-standing Labour councillor and former mayor John O’Brien.

Voters in the area will be able to choose a new councillor on the same day as the general election on July 4.

The 75-year-old councillor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he had stepped down following a fall at home which has impeded is ability to walk.

Mr O’Brien served on the council for 23 years and was chair of Greater Manchester’s Health Scrutiny Committee, for the same period. He has also served as chair of emergency response on the Greater Manchester Fire Authority. He was the Wigan mayor in the 2007/08 year.

The notice of election has now been published by the council, with the date of the ballot and timeline. Nominations for candidates must now be submitted by 4pm on Friday, June 7. Nomination papers are available from Wigan town hall.

Residents can register to vote at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote until June 18 and applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes and amendments or cancellations of proxy votes should be done by 5pm on June 19.

New applications to vote by proxy must be submitted by 5pm on June 26, with emergency applications before 5pm on July 4.