A FORMER council leader has stood down from frontline politics in Southampton but is set to be honoured for his decades of service to the city.

Adrian Vinson is set to be named as an alderman of the city after serving as council leader for seven years and a councillor for almost 30 years.

The Liberal Democrat veteran lost his seat in Portswood a year ago, and has now decided to call it a day on a political career stretching back three decades.

The 72-year-old was first elected as a Hampshire county councillor for Portswood in 1985 and the former University of Southampton history teacher represented Portswood at the county council until 1997, also serving as the chairman of the Hampshire Social Services Committee from 1993 to 1997.

He was a Lib Dem councillor for Portswood on the city council from 1996 to 2014, except for a short break from 2008 to 2010.

As well as being the leader of his party in the city, Mr Vinson was the leader of the council from 2003 to 2007, heading up a minority administration.

In 2007 the Lib Dems lost the reins of power in the city and he was beaten in Portswood by just 51 votes by Conservative Paul O'Neill in the 2014 election, which saw his party lose its remaining two seats on the council.

He stood in the 2015 election but has now decided to call it a day in frontline politics and is set to be named as an honorary alderman of the city after both Labour and the Conservatives moved to nominate him.

He said: "I am very proud of my association with the council over a long period of time and I am very pleased to accept the honour.

"I think it's fair to say that in accepting an honorary aldermanship I have reached the decision that this is the time to hand on the candidacy to someone younger and fresher.

"Obviously I am very appreciative of all of those who have supported me over the years and I am particularly proud to have been able to have represented Portswood ward in which I have lived over that time.

"I will of course be continuing to actively support the Liberal Democrats in various capacities and to work with local residents to maintain and improve the quality of life in Portswood ward."

Labour council leader Simon Letts has formally put forward Mr Vinson's name to become an alderman at the council's next meeting, and said: "I put forward Adrian mainly because of his long service to the city, both as a county councillor and as a member of the Lib Dem cabinet when they ran the county, and subsequently as a member of the Lib Dem group in Southampton and as a leader of the council.

"Nobody has given more dedicated service to the city and council and he deserves the honour, I am delighted to have nominated him even as a member of another political party."