A TENANT director claims he has been thrown off the management board of Burnley and Padiham Community Housing for being verbally abusive and threatening to a company officer.

Tony Brankin, who represents the Padiham and Hapton area tenants, said he has denied the allegation and intended to take action under Human Rights legislation and through the Housing Ombudsman.

Mr Brankin, 52, a disabled ex-serviceman who lives in Hapton, was removed from the board at a special meeting this week by a vote of 13-4.

He said: "It was a kangaroo court. Evidence was only by way of written statements."

Mr Brankin, who has been on the board since the company took over all of the former council houses in Burnley borough in March 2000, said: "I shall stand again for election when they fill the vacancy, they can't stop me doing that."

Mr Brankin said the complaint against him followed the Kibble Bank tenants' group annual meeting in August.

He said that with only 13 tenants present there was a disagreement over whether the meeting should go ahead.

Mr Brankin added: "The meeting did go ahead and I asked two questions, why were there no senior company officers present and had the group asked for its underspend back from last year?

"The officer taking the meeting said that I got angry and aggressive which I denied. Not one individual from the Kibble Bank group put in a complaint."

He added: "I was said to have used threatening behaviour. I deny it totally and there were witness statements to prove it."

He said the hearing into the accusation against him was dealt with entirely by written statements. He was given only two days to submit his written evidence at a time when his solicitor was away.

He said: "I was not allowed to ask any question of any witness. Everything had to be done in writing. Basically it is against the Human Rights Act, you are entitled to a fair hearing.

"I believe I have been kicked off the board because I am outspoken on behalf of tenants and will not be a yes man for the officers."

Burnley and Padiham Community Housing has released a brief statement headed "Special board meeting" in which they said they had a board of managers of 18 directors of which six were tenant directors.

The statement added: "A special board meeting of the company was held on December 5. At this meeting board member Anthony Brankin was removed from the board.

"The process of finding a replacement for Mr Brankin will now commence."

A spokesman for the company said they had no further comment to make.