A COUNCIL meeting descended into chaos after a Tory offered the leader of the opposition a fight in a row over post office closures.

Hyndburn Borough Council's mayor had to call a temporary halt to the full council meeting, at Accrington Town Hall, to try to calm the situation after petty squabbles appeared to become more serious.

Tensions were high as Labour leader Graham Jones proposed a motion that the council should contact the Post Office to voice concerns over the franchising of Accrington's crown branch.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe then demanded that the motion was amended to condemn the government's handling of the situation, and told Coun Jones it was "no good crying socialist hypocritical tears".

Coun Jones retaliated by questioning the commitment of Tory councillors to protecting the town centre post office, and its 18 staff.

With insults beginning to fly, Conservative Coun Doug Hayes told Coun Jones that he would "see him outside" as the pair had a verbal scrap over attendance at previous meetings where the issue had been discussed.

The meeting was halted and mayor Mohamed Rahman insisted both Couns Britcliffe and Jones step into his office to curb the unruly behaviour of their party members.

Coun Hayes, of St Oswald's ward, later apologised to the mayor for the outburst, saying he had been incensed by earlier accusations about a former colleague.

Speaking after the meeting, he added: "Coun Jones was bringing my integrity into question, when he knows I brought this issue up at a previous meeting.

"He shouted across that I didn't care, and that's what caused my anger.

"I should have known better. It was a heated debate that got out of hand and I made my apologies afterwards."

Coun Britcliffe defended his fellow Conservative member, and said: "There was a lot of provocation and animosity in the meeting and I am not surprised that someone eventually retaliated, but this is not the sort of politics we want in Hyndburn."

The Labour Group is now considering taking the matter to the standards committee.

Coun Jones said: "Obviously it was a very thuggish and stupid threat.

"I am sure Doug didn't mean it, but he and others seemed unable to accept that someone else might be right."

Former Hyndburn Mayor and Police and Community chairman for Hyndburn, Maurice Cowell said their behaviour was "diabolical".

He said: "What sort of an example does this set young people in the borough if they see their elected officials behaving in this way?

"Fighting should be done verbally inside the council chambers."