AN ELECTION hopeful disqualified as a school governor has been reinstated.

Councillor Louisa Woodley, Labour's London Assembly candidate for Croydon and Sutton, was dismissed as a local authority governor of Ryelands Primary School, in South Norwood, for supposedly missing a series of meetings.

Cllr Woodley, who has repeatedly maintained her innocence, has now resumed her role after the chair of governors was told he had made a mistake.

She told the Advertiser: "I am delighted that justice and common sense have finally prevailed."

Ryelands' chair of governors Norman Gooding disqualified Cllr Woodley because he believed the election candidate had missed meetings of the governing body over a six month period.

Governance regulations state that absence over this period, without the consent of the governing body, can result in disqualification. The last meeting she actually missed, however, was in September.

Because less than six months had passed, her dismissal was deemed invalid. She is now free to attend the next gathering on March 28.

"I am sorry that Norman felt it necessary to take this action in the first place but I'm relieved that it's all sorted," she explained.

"It's just unfortunate that it got to this point. I was very concerned about the effect it was having on the school.

"I'm pleased to be able to resume my duties so I can continue to work in the best interests of the school and the pupils."

Mr Gooding, who had previously denied misinterpreting the rules and insisted Cllr Woodley could not be reinstated, grunted and put his phone down when contacted by the Advertiser this week.

Cllr Woodley, who will run against Tory incumbent Cllr Steve O'Connell in May's London Assembly elections, has been a governor at Ryelands Primary, in Albert Road, for 14 years.

After being disqualified last month, she appealed to Croydon Council.

A council spokesman said: "Once we had been informed we investigated the details of the matter and subsequently advised the board of the error in their interpretation of the regulations.

"As a result, and on our advice, the board of governors retracted the disqualification notice."