WESTHOUGHTON Liberal Democrat councillor David Wilkinson has hit back after he and other Lib Dems were accused of snubbing the mayor's annual charity dinner dance.

Cllr Wilkinson said Labour town councillor David Chadwick was a hypocrite for bringing up the issue because he himself had never attended a mayor's dance before this year.

He said: "We find it hypocritical of him. If this man wants to start throwing mud, he should be careful it doesn't stick to himself."

Cllr Chadwick had accused Lib Dem town councillors of boycotting the event held before Easter when none of them turned up.

He said they had done it because Mayor Kath Dawson had left their party to become independent last year.

Cllr Chadwick defended his own past record by saying he hadn't attended previous dances because of family commitments.

However he added that at least one member of the Labour group had always gone along.

And he added Cllr Wilkinson had a personal grudge against Cllr Dawson, which was shown when he had not gone to her mayoral inauguration last year - even though at that point she was still a Lib Dem.

He said: "If anyone can be accused of hypocrisy, it must be Cllr Wilkinson."

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