TWO senior Tory councillors have been reported to a national watchdog for allegedly using council staff and resources to produce a calendar for their constituents.

The complaint made against Hyndburn Council leader, Coun Peter Britcliffe, and cabinet member for leisure Coun Brian Walmsley, is being investigated by the Standards Board for England.

But the leader today said the move was a "dirty trick" by the borough's Labour group ahead of the local elections in May.

The pair were reported to the Standards Board by former Labour group leader, Coun Jean Battle, who claims they breached the councillors' code of conduct by using council staff and resources to produce the calendar.

It had pictures of Oswaldtwistle councillors with projects carried out in the town over the previous year and was sent out to residents in St Andrew's ward in January.

She said: "I raised questions about this calendar, which someone pushed through my door anonymously, because they usually have something on saying published by the Conservative Party' and this one didn't.

"I don't have a problem with the calendar itself, because all political parties produce things like calendars and Christmas cards, but councillors are not allowed to use council staff or resources to produce these things."

However, Coun Britcliffe said he and Coun Walmsley had done nothing wrong.

He said the initial idea was to send out a calendar from Oswaldtwistle Area Council.

But they were advised by their legal department that it could not go ahead because all the members of the area council were Conservatives.

Coun Britcliffe said: "Rather than waste what had already been done we offered to take it over and pay for it out of our own pockets.

"We took advice every step of the way to make sure we didn't fall foul of any rules. We haven't done anything wrong and I am quite sure we will be vindicated by the Standards Board."

He added: "I am very disappointed Labour seem intent on these dirty tricks at election time and I am calling for a clean election fight."

A spokeswoman for the Standards Board for England, which is responsible for promoting high ethical standards in local authorities and investigating allegations that members' behaviour may have fallen short of the required standards, said the investigation could take up to six months.

She said: "The areas of the code the allegations refer to are allegedly compromising the impartiality of a council employee and using authority resources for political purposes."