BLACKBURN Tory leader Colin Rigby has vowed to scrap plans for a statue of Barbara Castle in the centre of the town.

Coun Rigby made the pledge just days before his party is due to join forces with the LibDems and six breakaway councillors to form the borough's new ruling administration.

The statue idea had previously been proposed by Labour and funding found for the project but the man likely to be the next leader of the council said having a road named after the former Cabinet minister was enough.

The bulk of the estimated £50,000 cost was to be paid for by the Barbara Castle Trust and donations from politicians.

But Coun Rigby said: "You can safely assume that idea is a non-starter. She's already got a road named after her, which is quite enough.

"The fact is she was a good MP who lived in London and stayed in the Ribble Valley whenever she came to Blackburn. Let's get real."

The borough's two Labour MPs, Jack Straw and Janet Anderson, blasted the decision.

Mr Straw said: "I am very surprised by the attitude of the Conservative leadership to this because there are statues to many Conservative dignitaries, and indeed Liberals, throughout the town.

"In any case, this statue is to be paid for by private subscription and this attitude reflects very badly on Coun Rigby and his colleagues.

"I simply don't understand what they are getting at."

Baroness Castle was famous for fighting social causes and rose to become one of the most high-profile politicians of her generation.

Described as a trail-blazer for women in politics, she died peacefully in her sleep at her Buckinghamshire home in May 2002 at the age of 91.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson, a long-time admirer of Baroness Castle, said: "This is a petty and churlish piece of political prejudice.

"Barbara Castle was not just a Labour MP, she was a great champion for Blackburn. She was one of the people who helped put the town on the map.

"I strongly suspect the people of Blackburn will be as angry about this insult to Barbara as I am."

Sir Bill Taylor, the former council leader who backed the plan, said: "Whatever the reason, it does seem sad and parsimonious." The statue was to be installed in the Sudell Cross area of the town centre asLabour councillors were keen to build a lasting tribute to Baroness Castle, whom they considered to be a role model for the borough's women.

Eddie Harrison, a former Conservative councillor who lost his seat at the local election on June 10, said the woman Prime Minister Tony Blair described as "an extraordinary pioneer for women in politics" did not deserve the recognition.

He said the statue should be scrapped and replaced with an inscribed urinal, fitting after what she did to the cotton industry.