LABOUR councillors were slammed for accepting a wining and dining freebie at a controversial cafe.

Independent councillor Harry Brooks demanded to know whether the decision to grant an entertainment licence to the Old Stables restaurant and cafe at Towneley Park, Burnley, had been affected by the "lavish free entertainment" for councillors and their wives, worth £50 a couple.

He told last night's council meeting that the eating house, which hit the headlines last year after the Labour chiefs wrote off a £19,000 unpaid rent bill run up by the previous tenant, had been taken over by former councillor Mary Burrows.

And he asked town hall bosses: "Is it right and proper for councillors to accept free gifts from people with whom they have a direct personal or legal relationship, as in this case?"

He said the proof of the pudding was in a Press report describing the event at the council-owned restaurant as "a fantastic evening... with 50 eminent guests." There was an accompanying photograph showing the Mayor, Coun Peter Swainston, former council leader Ken McGeorge and leisure chairman Coun John Harbour and their partners at the event.

"Not only did they accept this lavish, free entertainment, they openly bragged about it in the Press," stormed councillor Brooks.

He said he would be writing to Mrs Burrows asking for a full guest list so the truth could be revealed.

But Coun Harbour said any suggestion of preferential treatment on the licence application was nonsense.

It was common practice for councillors to accept invitations to openings of premises and he had attended out of courtesy.

"The people who have taken over have made major improvements and spent a great deal of their own money there," he added.

"Despite this, they have no long-term security and will have to bid against open competition when the contract to run the premises comes up for renewal next year.

"They have had no preferential treatment whatever."

Council chief executive Roger Ellis said he would mount a full investigation if a complaint was made by Coun Brooks.

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