THE NATIONAL Labour Party will launch its own investigation into council house queue-jumping allegations in Burnley, it was revealed today.

Top regional officer Howard Knight will travel from party headquarters in Walworth Road, London, on Monday to address the council's ruling Labour group.

And we can exclusively reveal that he will also carry out his own inquiry into whether action should be taken against councillors alleged to have unfairly intervened in the allocation of council homes in the town.

News of the move comes on the day that that council chief executive, Roger Ellis, is expected to release his long-awaited report into the matter - which last week resulted in the sacking of a senior housing manager.

That 180-page document, which took five months to complete, is expected to name councillors who are alleged to have played a part in helping families queue jump.

Today Mr Knight, the national party's policy and law adviser in local government, said he had not yet seen the inquiry findings but would be issuing a Press release soon after studying the report.

He said he would be advising at a special meeting of the Burnley Labour Group on Monday and added: "I will be carrying out my own investigation as quickly as possible and which I expect to complete in early January."

Mr Knight added his investigation would be quite separate from any action launched by the local Labour group.

Burnley Labour group announced the Ellis inquiry in June after allegations against councillors from a woman housing manager who had been sacked and later reinstated following an investigation into claims that she unfairly allocated her sister a council flat. At the time of the announcement, the group revealed it had suspended Labour councillors, Eddie Fisk and Jack Alston "for their own protection" for the duration of the inquiry.

Coun Alston subsequently resigned from the party in protest.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph can reveal the Ellis inquiry sparked anger from councillors who received letters from the chief executive, outlining allegations against them made by un-named accusers and asking them to respond.

People who received letters include Coun Fisk, Coun Alston, Independent Coun Harry Brooks, Labour stalwart, Les Harrison and former housing chairman and ex-councillor Phil Bilham.

All are understood to have refuted the claims and some have threatened legal action.

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle, who gave evidence to the inquiry said today: "These letters caused a great deal of distress.

"To put allegations to people without saying who has made the allegations is against all natural justice and shows just what a farce the whole thing is."

He added: "The Labour party has blundered into this inquiry which has been extremely costly, time-consuming and totally unjustified."

During the inquiry, leading Labour Party official Peter Kenyon revealed the suspension of Labour councillors had sparked fears of a witch-hunt by the group hierarchy within the local party.

In a note to members he appealed for an end to political in-fighting which had dogged the group at recent meetings.

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