COUNCILLORS in Westhoughton are demanding an apology is sent to Standish Band following a string of mishaps they have blamed on Bolton's leisure services department.

Disaster has struck on the last four occasions the band has been booked to appear at Central Park, Westhoughton.

Town councillor John Ainscough claimed that the first time there were no chairs provided for the concert, the second year the event was not advertised so no one turned up, last year the chairs were sent to the wrong park - Moss Bank - and this year there was a mix-up over dates and their performance was cancelled.

Cllr Ainscough said the band had been asked to play at the park on August 25, but learned at the last minute that the booking was for July 14. The band had another engagement on that date.

Cllr Ainscough added that the band had also arranged to play at Blackrod Carnival this year but that was cancelled because the event was overbooked.

He proposed that the council write to the leisure service's department asking for an explanation and that a letter of apology should be sent to the band.

Band secretary Mrs Susan Adamson said she was very annoyed about the latest incident because she did not want the band getting a bad name.

She said Blackrod Carnival was booked 12 months ago, and when three weeks before she still had not received any documentation she rang a leisure services official and was told there were too many bands already booked.

A council spokesman said that another concert has been arranged with the band for Sunday September 29 at Westhoughton's Central Park. He said there had been a mix up over dates earlier in the year and the council had been working with the band to find an alternative date.

He said that there had been a few minor problems with chairs in the past but that all events are publicised through listings and other sources.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.