TWO parish councils in Pendle were left red-faced after failing to put forward nominations in time for the election.

No names were put forward to election staff at Pendle Council by Trawden Forest and Laneshawbridge parish councils. It is the first time in at least 17 years that has happened in Pendle.

Among those who have decided to stand down this year is 91-year-old Cecil Rycroft, the oldest parish councillor in Pendle and one of the oldest in the country.

The current parish councils have been given extra time to put forward names and new elections will have to be held next month if nominations outweigh places available.

Mary Waterworth, chairman of Trawden Forest, admitted there had been a "catalogue of disasters" in missing the deadline for the parish and town council elections, which coincided with the borough elections on Thursday.

"Unfortunately I was away and the secretary was away and the nomination papers didn't get to the councillors on time," she said. "It was an unfortunate set of circumstances. We didn't have a meeting until it was too late. Really I feel responsible because I should have overseen it."

The council will continue until its annual meeting on June 1, the deadline for new nominations. Mrs Waterworth and Mr Rycroft, are both standing down from the ten-person council. Mr Rycroft, who has served 25 years first with the neighbourhood and then the parish council, said: "We've been a happy crowd and got a fair lot of work done but I've done my stint now and it's time for someone else to have a god.

"Its getting more and more difficult to get out to meetings at night, although I'm all right when I get there and I've always enjoyed the work."

Mrs Waterworth, who is leaving the village later in the year, said she was sorry to leave the council and Trawden.

Seven vacancies also need to be filled on Laneshaw Bridge Parish Council.

Chairman Caroline Box said: "There was no contest because we only have five people and seven places and we didn't realise we still had to put forward nominations even though there was no need for an election."

The five names will be put forward before the new May 11 deadline, she said.

Nominees for the other town and parish councils were elected unopposed and without the need for a poll.

The results were as follows:

Barnoldswick Town: Marjorie Adams, Margaret Bell, Maureen Blackwell, John Edwards, Sally Lambert, Valerie Langtree, Linda MacSween, Frank Neal, Mary Norcross, Margaret Peel, Roger Schofield, Robert Smith and David Whipp. Barrowford Parish: Christel Abbiss, Bryan Concah, Brian Davis, Anthony Dixon, Sharon Edwards, Muriel Green, Anthony Hargreaves, Alan Holgate, Michael Maybury, Edgar Midgley, Michael Simpson and Allan Vickerman.

Brierfield Town: Mohammed Arshad, Thomas Belshaw, Frank Chadwick, Willie Clegg, Mohammed Hanif, Lyn Heaton, William Lawrence, Margaret Parker, Mohammed Razaq, Hugh Williams and Mohammed Yousaf.

Earby Parish: Peter Charlton, Jack Cross, Cynthia Dickson, Christine Heap, Morris Horsfield, Douglas Marsh, Joyce Myers, Christopher Tennant, John Wickham and Charles Wilkinson.

Foulridge Parish: Graham Cannon, Jennifer Garstang, Maureen Green, Tina Rushton and Craven Wilson.

Kelbrook and Sough Parish: Stuart Duncan, Colin Hodgson and Anne Thompson.

Reedley Hallows Parish: Alan Binns, Margaret Hardacre, Stephen Laird, Jenifer Oddie, Sheena Ramirez-Townrow, William Roberts and Lilian Whitham.

Salterforth Parish: David Carradice, George Crawford-Smith, Gordon Jackson, Nicholas Livsey and Christine Pollard.

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