HYNDBURN Council leaders have hit out at the opposition Conservative group for boycotting a full council meeting.

All seven Tory councillors did not turn up at the meeting at Accrington Town Hall as a protest against the leading group.

Cllr Terry Hurn, deputy leader of the Tory group on Hyndburn council, said the boycott was a protest against plans from the leading group and the running of council meetings.

Council leader Cllr Miles Parkinson said the move was nothing more than a 'political stun to grab headlines' and criticised Tory councillors for failing to do their duty.

The Labour leader said: "I'm puzzled by this because there is nothing on the agenda which is not directly related to Hyndburn Council.

"It is dereliction of duty to deliberately stay away from this council chamber and represent the public when they are paid an allowance to do so.

"This is nothing more than an election stunt.

"We live in a democracy, we should not be shying away from healthy debate but asking questions to make sure that this borough moves forward.

"The Conservatives are not doing the work."

This was the final full council meeting held ahead of the local elections in May and issues discussed included the future of Accrington Victoria walk in centre and sports hub plans for Higham Playing Fields.

Cabinet member Cllr Ken Moss said: "They have run away tonight to attempt a cheap headline. Everyone misses a meeting now and then but to take a night off en masse is blatant electioneering, although I'm not sure how it's a positive thing."

At the start of the meeting a letter was read out by chief executive David Welsby starting how the Tory councillors were boycotting the meeting over the way the council was being run.

Following the meeting, Cllr Hurn said: "The Conservative group feel we are not happy at the town centre plans in Accrington and the way Labour councillors are going about it.

"We feel council meetings are all about Labour promoting themselves, it's just a bit too much. They are just promoting themselves ahead of the election.

"We are there to discuss the borough and we thought this was not happening so we decided to protest."