CONTROVERSIAL Conservative politician Eric Pickles is to be given a knighthood — to the dismay of members of his own party in Bolton.

Mr Pickles, who served as communities secretary for the past five years, will be given the honour in recognition of his services to local government.

However during that time local council budgets have been cut by millions of pounds, with Bolton Council previously announcing it has to find £43 million of savings over the next two years.

Due to the cuts, the council has had to axe 200 jobs due to centralisation of administration and cut another 60 roles to share resources in environmental services with Wigan Council.

Cllr Andy Morgan, a former deputy leader of the party's Bolton group, said it was "shocking" that Mr Pickles was being knighted.

Cllr Morgan, who was re-elected in Heaton and Lostock this month after losing his Hulton seat to UKIP last year, said: "For a man who has been leader of a council, what he has done to to local government is unexplainable.

"Somebody that has been at a council should know how much pressure we are under with the cuts to budgets he has imposed, particularly in the North West and in Bolton where we have some of the most deprived areas in the country."

Cllr Morgan said he had no qualms about criticising a member of his own national party.

He added: "As a Conservative group in Bolton we are not afraid to to disagree with the government — for example we opposed the bedroom tax."

Before entering parliament as MP for Brentwood and Ongar in 1992, Mr Pickles had a long career in local government, being elected to Bradford Council and serving as leader from 1988 to 1990.

Mr Pickles later served as chairman of the Conservative Party from 2009 to 2010.

The larger than life politician visited Atherton during the election campaign, visiting to promote Chris Green's successful bid to win the Bolton West seat.

Mr Pickles, who lost his frontbench role following the election, said: ""I'm obviously very pleased with the honour and am looking forward to my day at the palace.

"When I left the cabinet the Prime Minister asked if I would accept a knighthood and I indicated that I would but it then has to go through a committee. I'm very pleased."