A CONTROVERSIAL Chorley Tory this week denied he had applied to join the Labour Party.

Roger Livesey, who resigned from the local Conservative Association earlier this year, claims he was approached to defect, but declined.

However a leading Labour councillor claims he filled in an application form to join the Labour Party in February and sent a £20 cheque to cover his subscription.

But Mr Livesey, pictured here, of Clayton Brook, denied this. He admits speaking to Labour officials but said the cheque was to pay for information about the party.

He said: "I have not knowingly filled in an application form for Labour party membership and as a result of what I am now hearing, I am placing a 'hold' on the cheque in question." He added: "I don't agree with the Labour Party in any shape, means or form."

Leading borough councillor and Labour whip Steve Holgate has rejected this. Mr Holgate said: "He applied on February 21 and we have hung on to this application and it has been put into the system to be processed."

Mr Livesey left the Conservative Association in January after he tried to get a vote of no confidence against Conservative Parliamentary candidate Peter Booth.

He was later expelled from the Party by Central Office, but has since appealed, and a decision is due later this month.

He says he remains a committed Conservative Party supporter and that he thinks Peter Booth would make "an excellent" MP. Mr Livesey added that the time this all happened was in the past.