THE leader of Burnley Council has attacked the BNP after its three councillors failed to attend "the most important meeting in the council year."

Stuart Caddy said it was 'a disgrace' that Carole Hughes, Terry Grogan and David Edwards, had not appeared at last night's budget meeting, even though it had been brought forward by an hour.

Today, Simon Bennett, spokesman for the BNP in Burnley, said: "Unfortunately, none of the councillors could get time off from work to get to the meeting, which was brought forward at short notice from 7pm to 6pm. If it had been at the original time they would have been there."

Mr Caddy said: "After all their claims about how many votes they received and what issues they would be fighting on, they did not turn up to the most important meeting of the year, discussing the budget process for next year.

"They should have been in the council chamber joining in the debate and it is a disgrace they were not there."

He added: "The fact that they were not at this meeting just shows that a vote for the BNP is a vote for non-participation."

Mr Caddy's comments came as councillors rubber-stamped cuts of more than £1million from the civic budget.

Money will be saved by axing up to 20 jobs through voluntary early retirement and compulsory redundancies, as well as cuts in the revenue budget, particularly leisure services.

The agreement on the budget -- passed at last night's full council meeting -- also means that the planned Burnley element of the council tax will be five per cent.

With precepts for Lancashire County Council and the county's police authority added in, the total rise will be 9.3 per cent, an increase of £104.34 on a Band D property. The total for Band D will now be £1, 226.86.

Voluntary organisations also had their worst fears confirmed after cuts to funding of more than £70,000 were given the nod.

The new approach will involve the withdrawl of grant from most voluntary groups in the borough over the next three years.

Council members also confirmed they would not be taking a 60 per cent rise in their allowances recommended by an independent review panel.