A FORMER council leader was escorted from a public meeting by police because he refused to keep quiet.

Former Hyndburn Council leader George Slynn was forced to leave the Great Harwood area council meeting on Tuesday night after clashing with the meeting's chairman.

He had stood to speak several times, arguing with chairman Councillor David Mason, but the argument came to a head over a debate surrounding plans to declare a number of churches in Hyndburn as redundant' including St John's Church in Great Harwood.

Coun Mason suspended the meeting while Mr Slynn was escorted from Bank Mill House, Church Street, by PC Helen Jackson, the town's community beat manager, who was present at the meeting. Today Mr Slynn said ordering a member of the public from a meeting should be a last resort.

Coun Mason said: "I do apologise to the people of Great Harwood for this. It's a difficult issue when you're in debate. Whether the person involved likes the answer is a matter for them to follow up at a later date.

"He has been given an answer and a right to speak but as far as we are concerned this particular issue of St John's Church comes under the Diocese of Blackburn in the first instance."

The incident is not the first time Mr Slynn has been removed from a meeting. In 2003 police officers were called to stop him gatecrashing' a meeting held to discuss the closure of care homes in the area.

Mr Slynn said: "I have never in years of public service ever ordered anybody out of a meeting. I still don't understand what I was doing wrong. If I had proceeded I would have put in danger the meeting being adjourned, which would be in the interest of no-one."

Mr Slynn, 79, of Lyndon Avenue, was a veteran Labour politician until he defected to the Liberal Democrat group on the county council in March 2005. He had been deselected as a candidate by the Labour group.