A residents association has changed its constitution to ensure no one who holds political office will be accepted on its committee.

Elstree and Borehamwood Residents Association (EBRA) made this resolution following the “disastrous” election of chairman of Hertsmere Ukip Frank Ward onto the committee last month.

He commented the residents’ association was not “working the way I want it to” during a meeting he had called to discuss overdevelopment in the town.

He also accused it of spending far too much time focusing on small issues such as “speed humps” and questioned the leadership of its chairman Andrew Lewis.

Mr Lewis said following a meeting earlier this month, Mr Ward and EBRA had decided to part ways as he feared Mr Ward was trying to make the association into a mouthpiece for Ukip.

He said: “Frank Ward resigned his place on the committee but we would have got rid of him in any case, we made a mistake in allowing any political executives to join the association.

“We’re not political and we don’t want anyone who tries to make us a political mouthpiece.”

Mr Lewis said the association’s constitution had been changed to make it clear anyone who held “executive political office” could not join the committee.

He said: “We fear there will be a conflict of interest if any political executives join us, as it is our role as a residents’ association to hold them to account and make sure the voice of the people is heard.

“People who work for the council as planning officers or in any other capacity are also barred from the committee, and any committee members who seek political office will have to step down, for the same reason.”

He said ordinary members of political parties who did not hold any office would be welcome, as long as they seperated their role in the association from their party political work.

Mr Ward was unavailable for comment.