A CLAIM by Pendle Liberals that their political opponents worked together to target marginal seats during the local election campaign has been strongly denied by Labour and Conservatives.

Liberals lost seven seats last Thursday and overall control of Pendle Council.

They claim their opponents had a pre-election agreement to divide most wards between them as to which group would run a hard campaign.

But today both Labour and Tories discounted the claim.

Leading Liberal Tony Greaves said: "If the Labour and Tory parties want to get into bed together to boot out the Liberals, so be it. They have a right to do that. But the voters also have a right to know what is going on and we have a right to tell them."

But Labour group leader Councillor Azhar Ali replied: "It is not true at all, they're just being bitter."

And Tory group leader Councillor Roy Clarkson added: "We were not in collusion with Labour. There was certainly no alliance and if there was any tactical voting it was down to the people themselves."

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