A controversial councillor who is set to become the next mayor of High Wycombe in just a week’s time faces calls to stand down from the prestigious post after it emerged he recently lost a court battle on TV’s Judge Rinder.

Wycombe District Councillor Brian Pearce, who represents the Booker and Cressex Ward, came under fire again this week after a High Wycombe resident revealed she appeared on the ITV programme with him in December over a tenancy dispute.

The news comes weeks after the former UKIP councillor – who made the decision to sit as an independent in February last year - was forced to apologise after he joked a cull should be carried out on the travelling community.

Liz Plowman said she was “horrified” to learn Cllr Pearce is set to become mayor after he allegedly kicked her and her son out of the home they rented from him and had spent £30,000 on renovating– despite promising her she could live there for the rest of her life.

She claimed Cllr Pearce asked her to leave the home because he wanted to sell it to Bucks Housing Association, agreeing to pay £12,000 to cover the renovation costs – however he only paid £10,500 claiming Miss Plowman still owed rent.

Cllr Pearce was ordered by Judge Rinder to pay Miss Plowman the remaining £1,500, however she revealed to the Bucks Free Press it was actually ITV who paid the bill.  

Miss Plowman, 65, said: “When we went to see [Cllr Pearce’s] place I nearly didn’t take it, it was in such a state. It was like a warehouse. You couldn’t get into the toilet or into the bedrooms. You couldn’t get into any of the rooms at all.

“I agreed to take it on in the understanding I would live there until I die. We packed everything up for him and took everything he didn’t want to the dump.

“We put our heart and soul into that place because we thought we were going to live there forever and the next thing we know we’re told we can’t live there.

“I was gutted. Absolutely gutted. I thought what can I do? I have got to fight back.”

Opposition Cllr, Matt Knight (East Wycombe Independents), who lost to Cllr Pearce after a close battle for mayor, said he was “stunned” to learn his colleague “felt it was appropriate” to appear on the programme and urged him to stand down.

He said: “All councillors owe it to the public to maintain the highest of standards and I would have hoped that Cllr Pearce would respect that.

“As a fellow councillor and Charter Trustee I feel let down and that my own integrity has been compromised by our Mayor Elect who has shown such poor judgement both in this matter and in his recent comments to the press which were divisive and prejudiced.

“To be entrusted with the role of Mayor of our town is a great honour and High Wycombe deserves better than this.

“Cllr Pearce should do the decent thing and stand down before he does any further damage to the mayoralty and to the reputation of our town.”

When approached by the Bucks Free Press Cllr Pearce refused to comment only saying that he had entered a legally binding agreement with ITV and did not want to provide any further information.