A GREEN party councillor is stepping down a year after she was elected, to take up a job on the other side of the world.

Former councillor Luna Deller, who had represented the Malvern West district council seat with party colleague John Raine, handed in her resignation to Malvern Hills District Council chief executive Chris Bocock on Tuesday.

Mrs Deller is swapping the Malvern Hills for Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and its 1.6 million residents, to teach.

She cited personal reasons for the move with husband Adrian being made recently redundant and a teaching job offer on the table, making it “the best” move for their two young children.

“It is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make,” said Mrs Deller, who was first elected in May 2011.

“Adrian and I have both been job hunting, trying to find a position that will be suitable to allow us to do the best for our two young children,” she said.

“I was left with an extremely difficult decision: to put my children first or my council work for the area in which I live and love. So, I have decided to move on.”

Councillor Raine, party leader, said Mrs Deller was “inspiring”

and “a fantastic champion of causes like Malvern Youth Centre.”

Coun Tom Wells, leader of the Liberal Democrat, Green and Independents group, said she had “done brilliantly”, ably combining work, council duties and being a full-time mum of two.

Her resignation triggers a byelection process with Green Party colleague Julian Roskams to stand.

Mr Roskams, currently a town councillor, missed out on a seat in the last district election by five votes.

It will be down to the Liberal Democrats branch over whether it fields a candidate, similarly for the Conservatives.

Whatever the result there will be no change to the political makeup of the Conservative Party majority led-district council.

The district council says it will announce a by-election at a later date.