AFTER 17 years in district politics former mayor Peter Carter is standing down at next month's elections.

The 77-year-old Liberal Democrat said his decision had been prompted by his age, the on-set of arthritis and his belief that the district council was becoming non-effective.

He will remain a county councillor for the Brinton Park ward but said he felt he was too old to serve his Sutton Park ward on the district council for another term.

Mr Carter lambasted the council for in-fighting and failing to put the people of Wyre Forest first.

"There is so much in-fighting and so much done for political expediency," said Mr Carter, adding: "Members have got to get back to putting the people first and not their own ideologies."

He was also critical of recent changes to the council.

"They have sold the housing department, got rid of leisure, we collect the rubbish for someone else and we collect the rates," he said.

Apart from his work on the district council Mr Carter serves on 33 committees including Age Concern, Citizen's Advice Bureau, and the fire authority.

He is vice president of the Worcestershire and Foresters Regimental Association, director of the Worcestershire Building Preservation Trust and on the board of the Worcestershire Housing Association.

"I will stay on these committees because I think they all put more into the community than the district council does," said Mr Carter.

He was Mayor of Kidderminster in 1996-97 during which his mayoral appeal raised a record-breaking £6,600-plus for Kemp Hospice.