A COUNCIL meeting has been branded an "embarrassment" as bitter divisions between current and former Labour councillors spilled out onto the floor of the chamber.
The angry debate on Thursday night caused Hyndburn borough's chief executive David Welsby to warn members about their behaviour.
The exchanges in Accrington Town Hall were sparked by a Labour Party Facebook post about party veteran Cllr Joyce Plummer joining the new all-party 'rainbow' cabinet running the authority.
The executive is led by Cllr Miles Parkinson, who quit Labour earlier this year but refused to step down from his leader role or resign from the council.
The Facebook post said: "Councillor Plummer should have been honest with voters about her intentions, honest with the Labour colleagues and stood as an independent.
"Peel Ward voted for a Labour councillor but 11 days later that has become a Tory supporting councillor. This makes a mockery of elections and voting."
In a statement read out by the authority's Independent leader Cllr Miles Parkinson, 81-year-old Cllr Plummer said she had "received a very nasty email from Graham Jones when I was at my most vulnerable after the then recent death of my husband of 62 years".
It went on: "I notice in comments from Hyndburn Labour that this decision has caused distress. Yes it has - more than certain people in the Labour group will ever know.
"Finally may I state that I have not joined a coalition as there is no coalition and I am not in it for the money as Labour members are stating on social media.
"I also note that Graham Jones is bullying again and making totally untrue comments about me."
Labour deputy leaders Cllrs Melissa Fisher and Kate Walsh said the decision to remove the party whip from Cllr Plummer was taken in accordance with national rules.
New Conservative councillor for St Oswald's ward Cllr Zak Khan said the meeting was "embarrassing".
Netherton Labour councillor Noordad Aziz apologised to deputy Mayor Cllr Terry Hurn for losing his temper during the debate when discussing Cllr Parkinson's behaviour.
Mr Welsby held back councillors after the meeting for a private session to warn them about their behaviour describing it as "an embarrassment" to the council.
Former Hyndburn Labour MP Mr Jones, accused of bullying by Cllr Plummer, said: "There is no substance to Cllr Plummer's claims.
"Once again we have seen Cllr Parkinson bullying and smearing Labour members."
Cllr Parkinson said: "I do not bully and smear Labour members."
Cllr Walsh told the meeting she has been "aggressively approached" by allies of Cllr Parkinson before the meeting adding: "If you don't like us, you don't need to speak to us at all."
In a separate development Mr Jones has written to Hyndburn Conservative MP Sara Britcliffe accusing her of colluding with "bullying" by the council leader and his allies.
She said: "This is unbelievable nonsense and hypocrisy."
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