A FORMER Tory councillor who was convicted of sexual assault has taken holidays to Cyprus, Spain, Gibraltar and Germany since being suspended on full pay.

Alan Donnelly resigned as a Conservative but has resisted calls to stand down from Aberdeen City Council since being found guilty and placed on the sex offenders’ register.

At trial last year Donnelly denied kissing and touching a man who was working at an event in Aberdeen, but was found guilty, placed on the sex offenders’ register and ordered to pay his victim £800 compensation.

In March the Standards Commission imposed an interim suspension on the councillor while the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s office carried out an investigation into his conduct. While suspended Donnelly has been allowed his basic allowance but is not permitted to claim expenses.

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The suspension was initially supposed to last for three months pending a commission hearing to discuss what action to take against Donnelly. However the suspension was extended once in the summer and again last month when Donnelly “provided evidence to demonstrate that he was unable to attend” the panel.

As the 65-year-old has refused to resign and intends to continue as an independent councillor, the panel could impose sanctions like removing him from office.

The councillor's suspension on full pay will now remain in place until the hearing on November 20.

Between March and September Donnelly, who represents the Torry/Ferryhill ward, has enjoyed several European holidays while receiving his basic annual pay of £17,854.

On his Facebook account the councillor documented his trip to Cyprus in March before posting photos of his quiet plane journey to Malaga on August 4.

Donnelly then headed to a “stunning resort” in Marbella on August 11 and on to Gibraltar on August 15.

He posted he was soon heading “back up to Torremolinos via Marbella”. Once there he declared that the government was “worse than Nicola Sturgeon” for going “on about another total Spanish lockdown” during his trip, with bars made to close at 1am rather than 4am.

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In September Donnelly also posted photos of himself at a “free Assange” demonstration in Berlin.

An SNP source in Aberdeen told The National: "Alan Donnelly is a convicted sex offender and he should have resigned.

"The people of Aberdeen will be rightly furious to learn that while suspended, on full-pay from the public purse, this ex-Tory councillor has been jet setting across the globe.

"His disregard for the public knows no bounds."

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson commented: “We are aware that the Standards Commission hearing has been adjourned until November 2020 and can confirm that councillor Donnelly remains suspended.

“While a councillor is subject to an interim suspension, they are still paid but they aren’t entitled to expenses. This is a legal requirement and not a decision of the council.”

Donnelly did not respond when contacted for comment.