BURNLEY'S first BNP councillors were today urged to become independents following the first meeting of the council last night.

Council leader Stuart Caddy said he wouldn't be surprised if BNP Couns Carole Hughes, David Edwards and Terry Grogan switched over in the next few months.

The controversial trio will take 12 seats on a number of council committees, it was decided last night.

Coun Caddy, who was re-elected for his fifth term as leader, said after the meeting: "In my 31 years in politics I have seen people transfer from Labour to Conservative and to other parties and in a couple of months time they may realise that they are maybe more like independents.

"They have come on the BNP agenda but what they are saying now is contrary to BNP policies.

"People do make mistakes in life and I think these three councillors may realise they have made one."

The meeting, at the town hall in Manchester Road, lasted just 35 minutes and passed without incident -- with probably as many journalists and photographers present as there were council members.

Coun Hughes came away with the lion's share being appointed to six committees while Couns Grogan and Edwards will sit on three apiece.

Coun Hughes will be the first to take her place on a committee when the development control councillors meet for the first time next Thursday.

All said they now just wanted to get on and do what they had been elected for - to serve the people of their ward.

After the meeting the leader of the BNP group on Burnley Council, Coun Edwards, said: "I am not here to justify my existence - I am here to do some work.

"I have never had any dealings with the council before and I am still picking it up as I go along. We have to work democratically."

The 40-year-old father-of two reaffirmed he was not for repatriation.

Coun Hughes said none of the group had spoken because there were no matters to raise.

Last night's meeting was a closed session with members of the public who are normally invited to attend and speak at all council meetings being told to stay away because of the level of media interest.

A crowd of Anti-Nazi League (ANL) supporters shouted: "Nazis out" as the smiling councillors walked up the town hall steps. Several other council members took ANL stickers.

The meeting was opened by Burnley's new Mayor Coun Gordon Birtwistle who said: "It is my aim to reunite the people of this town and I call upon all members here to support this aim."

Coun Caddy said: "This last 12 months has been a very difficult time for Burnley but I firmly believe the commitment from this council and councillors will see Burnley prosper."

He said the message to be learned from the elections was to engage with the public more and ensure the council represented the whole of the borough.

Coun Caddy said councillors needed to listen to the 10,000 people whose voting had raised concerns.

He said: "The issue about Burnley in not about colour, not about black and white, it is about deprivation, that is what we need to address. I believe passionately in Burnley, we all do, and Burnley comes first."

They BNP left, as they arrived, all in the same vehicle while Simon Bennett, deputy organiser of the BNP in Burnley and Pendle handed out a press statement which said: "This is the start of a new dawn in Burnley politics and they are willing to heed the call by the newly elected mayor that Burnley must unite."