A COUNCIL leader has been accused of 'behaving like Hitler' for snubbing a neighbouring borough while planning to take it over.

Tory leader Coun Peter Britcliffe told a meeting of Hyndburn Council last night that Sir Bill Taylor did not discuss proposals to include his borough in a new unitary authority.

And today Coun Taylor admitted no specific boundary arrangements were ever discussed, even though a report to Blackburn with Darwen Council said some talks had taken place.

Labour-run Blackburn with Darwen Council announced it intends to pursue a merger with Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Councils as part of local government reorganisation, if plans for a North West Regional Assembly are given public approval in a referendum next autumn.

A report presented to members, outlining the preferred option, said: "There has been some discussion with neighbouring councils about our proposals, and some consensus on elements of it."

But Coun Britcliffe said there had been no such consultation.

He told the meeting: "It is no coincidence that we are deciding this matter on September 3 because it was on this day that war broke 64 years ago.

"And rather like Hitler, Bill Taylor would like to march his green and white buses right across Hyndburn, it is a doomsday scenario for Hyndburn."

Today he said: "The last time I spoke to Bill Taylor was in Harrogate at the local government conference in July, and he cerainly didn't mention it then.

"It's been obvious for some while he had expansionist ideas. It's extremely rude and everybody is very annoyed.

"The idea of Blackburn is the worst," he added.

Coun Taylor said: "He must have a short memory because I sat next to him in a hotel conference room and we had a two-hour conversation with nearly every other council leader from East Lancashire in the room.

"I think two hours is quite a considerable conversation.

"It was a wide-ranging conversation, although no particular permutations were discussed."

Coun Taylor said he had also spoken to Hyndburn's Labour leader Jean Battle about it, but had not been able to update Coun Britcliffe because the Hyndburn leader had been in Spain for a month.

"I don't feel at all dictatorial about this. We want to have an open and frank conversation about it," he said.

Members of Hyndburn Council approved their preference for retaining the current system of local Government or a merger with Ribble Valley Council at last night's meeting.

Mr Rix said: "There have not been discussions, either formal or official, with Hyndburn Council, with officers or at majority group member level about Blackburn's proposals."

Coun Battle said: "Bill Taylor spoke to me the weekend before last and asked if it would be all right to ring Peter Britcliffe. I said 'yes' but he was on holiday at the time. He asked me in my capacity as leader of Hyndburn's Labour group what our views were, not as a representative of the council, which I am not."