The former leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly, Rod Richards, has resigned as an AM.

Mr Richards, who has been fighting alcoholism, said he was leaving the assembly immediately in the interests of his health.

Mr Richards has been a list member of the assembly

His decision brings to an end one of the most turbulent careers in Welsh politics.

A former MP (for Clwyd West) and minister in the UK government, Mr Richards has been sitting as an independent Conservative since leaving the group leadership.

Nick Bourne, who replaced Mr Richards as Conservative assembly leader, said the party wished him well for the future and a recovery to full health.

He said whoever replaced Mr Richards would be warmly welcomed.

The person who is next in line for the seat on the Conservative list is David Jones, a Llandudno solicitor, who stood in the general elections for the Conwy seat in 1997 and Chester in 2001.

Mr Davies said he would spend a few days talking to family and friends about whether to take up the seat.

He said he would like to be in the assembly, "other things being equal", but spoke of family and business obligations which he had to consider.

Message for assembly

Mr Richards' controversial political career was matched by an equally colourful private life.

He resigned as a Welsh Office Minister over newspaper reports of an extra-marital affair.

Later, he was cleared by a court of allegations that he assaulted a young woman and survived moves to bankrupt him over his business activities.

Nick Bourne AM replaced Rod Richards as Welsh leader

Mr Richards was a regional list member - for North Wales - at the assembly which is to hold elections next May.

His office issued a statement following the announcement of his resignation.

It said: "Mr Richards wishes Rhodri Morgan and his government well in their efforts to improve the quality of life in Wales.

"He also wishes Ieuan Wyn Jones and his opposition party well in scrutinising and challenging the government."

There was no mention made of his former Conservative colleagues, or the man who replaced him as leader, Nick Bourne.

Plaid Cymru chair Elin Jones, the AM for Ceredigion, said Mr Richards had a great deal of ability and was a "very colourful character".

"There is no doubt that Mr Richards has recently been through a very difficult period. I hope he will find time now to overcome his problems.

"The strains of political life have clearly been at times intolerable for him and have resulted in an early end to his career."

Newsreader

Originally from Llanelli, Mr Richards first rose to public prominence in the 1980s as a Welsh-language newsreader for BBC Wales.

Before that, he had spent some time in the Royal Marines including serving in Northern Ireland.

He first tried to enter parliament in 1987, unsuccessfully contesting the Carmarthen seat, and two years later a by-election for the Vale of Glamorgan.

In 1992, he was elected as MP for the former parliamentary seat of Clwyd North West and served for five years until the Labour landslide in the 1997 general election.

Although defeated in his constituency seat during the first Welsh Assembly elections in 1999, he was elected to the new body as lead candidate on the Conservatives' regional top-up list.