A COUNCILLOR who appeared at just 35 percent of meetings she was supposed to attend in the past year says she still has a passion for the job.

Nicola Sinclair, who represents the Church End ward in South Woodford, earns £10,138 a year as a councillor.

But she was able to go to just eight of 23 meetings between May 2011 and April 2012 because of a debilitating back problem.

The previous year she attended just 18 out of 38 council, panel and committee meetings.

She said: “I have suffered with a bad back for 20 years.

“Three years ago I had a spinal fusion operation which didn’t work and left me in constant pain.”

A steel cage inserted in Cllr Sinclair’s back during that operation slipped during physiotherapy, leaving her in agony.

She had hoped a further operation at Whipps Cross Hospital last February would improve her mobility, but it did not go to plan.

She explained: “They caught the spinal cord and when I woke up I thought my head was going to explode.”

While she only stopped taking morphine for the pain three weeks ago, Cllr Sinclair said she had continued to meet with people from her ward at her home.

Last week she left her house for just the second time since returning from Whipps Cross, attending a planning meeting at Ilford Town Hall.

She said: “I want to continue in my role as councillor more than anything in the world.

“I love helping people and have continued with my case work.”

Deputy leader of Redbridge Council and fellow Liberal Democrat, Ian Bond said: “There is no question over Nicola’s commitment.

“The fact that she made it to a meeting last week was heroic.

“All of us are doing everything we can to support her through this.”

And Cllr Sinclair also received support from political opponent, Conservative councillor Robin Turbefield.

He said: “I know Nicola well and like her a lot.

“She is a hard working councillor who has been badly hit by a back problem.”

But chairman of the Church End Ward Conservatives, Rashid Ebrahimkhan, who lost to Cllr Sinclair in the 2010 Council elections, said she should consider her position.

He added: “We all wish her well, but at the end of the day she has been elected to represent the people of Church End.

“If anybody is unable to represent the local community due to ill health then they should consider their position.

“I am sure she speaks to local people but if she has been off sick for any length of time and unable to attend meetings, it is difficult to see how she can represent people fully.”

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