Shiva Tiwari defects to the Tories in March, pictured here with group leader Steve Adams

THE deputy leader of the Camden Conservatives is resigning from the party and the council after an angry confrontation with a shop owner in West Hampstead.

Shiva Tiwari reportedly swore at staff at a branch of Costcutter after becoming frustrated at being told he did not have the required ID to pick up a parcel.

CCTV footage of the incident was exclusively obtained by the Better Retailing trade news website which reported earlier that Mr Tiwari had made clear during the incident that he was a councillor and threatened to close the business down.

“Don’t annoy me, I’m a councillor for this area, I will shut down your bloody shop, ok?,” was a quote cited by the website.

Mr Tiwari later apologised and, although police were called, officers said the matter was resolved at the scene without the need for further action.

But he tendered his resignation from both the Conservative Party and the council today (Thursday), opening up the prospect of.a by-election in the West Hampstead ward.

“I regret my part in the verbal dispute with the shop,” he told the New Journal.

“But I suspect many of us as human beings have experienced such frustration when confronted by someone very rude, who in this case also refused to hand over my parcel for no reason. The matter was however settled there and then. .”

He added: “I have been a hardworking councillor for 7 years, helping as many people as I could. I even helped the shop in question a few years back when they reached out to me about some issues with local anti-social behaviour, and was the only one to do so. I have now tendered my resignation from the Conservatives and Camden and won’t be standing again.”

Earlier in the day, Conservative group leader Councillor Steve Adams had said that he was unhappy with what he had seen in the footage and that the party was acting on the situation.

Cllr Tiwari was due to stand in the Frognal ward at next May’s elections but has told the party he will not stand for the council again

He has been a councillor since 2018 but four months ago made front page news when he dramatically defected from Labour to Tories.

Labour councillor Richard Olszewski, the leader of the council, had immediately called for a by-election after being shown the footage.

He said this evening (Thursday): “Resigning was the only option for Cllr Tiwari. I have seen the videos of the incident and the behaviour is truly shocking. It was completely beyond the bounds permissible for a member of the public, let alone an elected representative. I have spoken to the owner of the shop to offer my sympathy to them. I feel for the staff who I know have been very upset by this. Shop workers already too often face abuse – it is unacceptable from the public and even more so from an elected member.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Tom Simon, the leader of the opposition, said: “Losing your cool is one thing, but abusing your authority to me suggests a very poor attitude towards public service. The comments are being a councillor are shocking and I think bring the office of councillor into disrepute.”

In comments made to Better Retailing, the shop’s owner Rakesh Bhimjiyani said: “The councillor was abusing his position. He tried to make his way to the back of the shop to get a parcel and an employee tried to stop him when they realised.”

It is understood discussions had been taking place over whether a council standards investigation would be needed but Mr Tiwari’s resignation means that will not happen,