A VEIL of secrecy has been thrown over a meeting in which a civic leader was asked to apologise to his councillor colleagues.

Blackburn with Darwen Mayor Coun Peter Greenwood was urged to say sorry for making controversial claims that town hall decisions were being made by a small group of politicians.

Labour party members had already called for disciplinary action to be taken against Coun Greenwood.

But today councillors were staying tight-lipped about the outcome of Tuesday night's meeting of the Labour group.

Council leader Malcolm Doherty said he did not want to say anything, while Coun Greenwood was unavailable for comment. His wife, Mayoress Coun Dorothy Greenwood, confirmed that her husband had attended the meeting and had been asked to apologise.

She refused to comment further. Coun Greenwood sparked the controversy by claiming that a small caucus of politicians were running Blackburn town hall.

The veteran councillor and former leader of the Labour group said power was concentrated in the hands of a small group of people.

After his comments, which were quoted by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, a recent meeting of Labour members in the Wensley Fold ward voted in favour of a motion condemning Coun Greenwood for his comments. The motion said: "His use of a public forum to claim that the Labour administration is undemocratic is extremely harmful and brings the party into disrepute.

"We ask therefore that he is dealt with under the disciplinary rules of the party."

Andy Kay, the man charged with keeping discipline in Blackburn's Labour group, denied any action was being taken against Peter Greenwood.

He said: "Several Labour members have spoken to me about comments made by the Mayor in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

"We would have to consider taking disciplinary action but this is a non issue.

"No action has been taken and as far as we are concerned this is a private internal party matter."

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