THE upcoming general election has led to the local authority cancelling its meeting of full council next week. The meeting which all councillors attend was due to take place on November 27 – two weeks before the vote.

It falls during the pre-election "purdah" period in which authorities are restricted from using public resources in a way that could be deemed political.

This comes after a full council meeting took place in April three weeks before the local elections.

The borough solicitor advised that motions from all parties should be withdrawn, to prevent council resources being used to “promote political agendas”.

Politicians were then banned from saying anything political at the meeting which was later described as a “farce”.

A council spokesman said: "In April this year, the leaders of all three political groups then on the council agreed that, from then on, no full council meeting would take place during pre-election periods."

The full council meeting which was planned for November 27 has now been rescheduled to take place on January 22.

Bolton Council's meeting which is scheduled for the same date is set to go ahead as planned.