Mr Winter and Labour councillors Eva Hughes and Stuart Exelby are understood to have met with the council's managing director Paul Hart on Wednesday, and registered themselves as 'the Labour group' - without the knowledge of the rest of the party.

Mr Hart said: "I can confirm I have received a request from some councillors who wish to register as a party group."

Doncaster Council Labour Party chairman Coun Mick Jameson said: "My understanding is that members of the Labour group have sent in forms trying to register as a separate entity.

"Martin Winter and Couns Hughes and Exelby's names were mentioned.

"Of course they can't form a separate party under the Labour Party's name.

"The Labour group have filled in their registration forms and handed them in to the council, everyone apart from those three, refused to sign those forms.

"Eva admitted she had already signed other forms. We approached them on Wednesday and again on Thursday morning but they refused to sign.

"We have informed the Labour Party's regional office, who said they'd deal with it.

"I my opinion this is something which needs to be dealt with by the party, through official party mechanisms."

John Curry, Mr Winter's political assistant, said Mr Winter would have no comment about the issue until the meeting of the council's Labour group, scheduled for next Wednesday.

When contacted by The Star both Stuart Exelby and Eva Hughes said they had no comment.

Garth Oxby, leader of the Alliance of Independent Members opposition group on the council, was approached by Martin Winter prior to last week's election with a view to becoming a member of a non-partisan cabinet, an offer he rejected. Other party leaders were also approached.

Mr Oxby said: "Martin Winter has only done what he told me he would do before the election - remove himself from the Labour group and become an independent.

"The whole thing reinforces the state of turmoil at Doncaster Council - will there be a call for Martin Winter to resign? I'd be very surprised if there wasn't."

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