ELECTION guidelines may have been breached by Bolton Council after its own newspaper — Bolton Scene — was sent out to residents less than six weeks before voters go to the polls, claims the town’s Tory leader.

The council is supposed to remain impartial in the run up to local elections and has a self-imposed period from March 27 to May 3 — known as purdah—where workers must not comment publicly on policy issues.

But Bolton Conservatives leader Cllr John Walsh says the council has broken its own rules by sending out Bolton Scene to households during this period — a claim the council denies.

The spring edition of Bolton Scene contains stories about £2 million investment in roads; the new £31 million Bolton One health facility; and a £4.5 million revamp of Bolton Market. The council says it sent out the newsletter between March 19 and 26.

Cllr Walsh said Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris appears in the newspaper 10 times. He added: “It is party political in my opinion. The timing is so close to the election it is unacceptable. It flies in the face of the political balance the council should have.”

The delivery of the spring edition was delayed by the announcement of the Olympic Torch route.

Bolton Scene could only be sent out once the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) had released the details.

Cllr Morris, who is pictured in Bolton Scene seven times, said: “We feel it is factual and it is written by council officers not by the Labour Party.

“We had to wait for permission from LOCOG and I was assured by the chief executive it would be sent out before purdah.”

Cllr Morris said the newspaper was “self financing”.

A Bolton Council spokesman added: “The specific timing of the spring edition was dictated by important announcements.

“There were 123,000 copies of Bolton Scene printed and our distribution company provided guarantees all the copies were delivered before the election purdah period.”

Bolton Scene is paid for through a mixture of promotions for council departments and advertising.