The mayor of Keighley has quit after being found guilty of stealing from the town’s rugby league club.

A spokesman for Keighley Town Council said Councillor Michael Westerman, who has completed five months of his year-long term of office, had stepped down for “personal reasons” – but was staying on as a town councillor.

In a statement to the Keighley News yesterday he said: “I came out of court at 2.20pm, I rang the town clerk at 2.25pm and told her I was on my way to hand in my resignation. So I resigned immediately.

“I’m not saying I’m guilty – I still vehemently deny it.”

He was convicted on Tuesday of stealing players’ wages from the Keighley Cougars rugby ground.

He had denied one charge of stealing £19.70 from the club in August last year, but was found guilty following a two-day trial at Bradford Magistrates’ Court. He was given a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £600 costs.

After the trial the town council spokesman said: “The town mayor, Councillor Michael Westerman, has resigned from his position with immediate effect for personal reasons and for the benefit of the town council.

“In the interim Councillor George Metcalf will take over the day-to-day civic duties until such time as a new town mayor is elected to serve for the remainder of the term.”

Town councillor Ron Beale said Westerman had brought shame on the town. “There is no honour in the chains of office now,” he said. He has written to town clerk Miggy Bailey, calling for Westerman to resign from the council.

Councillor Lionel Lockley said Westerman should never have stood for the position of mayor. He said: “He was advised by the town clerk and some other people not to stand as mayor until the court case had been dealt with.”

Coun Brian Morris said he would put a proposal forward at the next town council meeting to stop anyone who had been charged with a criminal offence from standing for the council until they had been dealt with by the courts.

“He has ruined the reputation of the post of mayor of Keighley,” he said.

Westerman was charged with theft in December, four months before he was selected as mayor. Councillor Graham Mitchell, who nominated him as mayor, said he was upset at the verdict.

He said: “I was there when he resigned as mayor at 4.15pm on Tuesday. He didn’t resign because he was forced out. He resigned as an honourable man because that is what he promised his supporters he would do. He did it because it was the proper thing to do.”