A BOROUGH'S participation in a world record bid involving hundreds of children has been cancelled after a row between the police and Asda.

Children from schools across Pendle were due to take part in a national Asda event aimed at forming the world's biggest walking bus this morning.

But the borough's participation was cance-lled at short notice after a row over who should pay the £1,200, for a high-visibility vest for each child taking part.

Police said the Asda Colne store had agreed to fund the vests, but a supermarket boss said no promise had been made.

Colne county councillor Mike Calvert criticised the situation which he said he had let the children down.

Asda bosses had asked the police to help arrange for hundreds of children to take part and officers found pupils but then the problem over the high-visibilty vests arose.

Police Constable Mark Whitehead said: "We are very grateful for all the help Asda does give us, but we need to let people know what has happened and why the money we promised to raise for charity through this event can not be given out. From my point of view it is disappointing because of the charities it affects."

Asda's customer service manager Judith Smith said there had been no suggestion of paying for the whole set of vests.

She said: "So far this year we have already given police in Colne more than £1,000, and we have given more than £22,000 to various charities.

"There're some crossed wires somewhere because we definitely would not promise that much money.

"We don't have that much to give away.

"There is sometimes more money available from our head office, but that has to go through an applications system and we told the police that."

Coun Calvert said: "It's clear to me that deals for sponsorship like this should be set out properly on paper because mess-ups like this can do a lot of damage.

"A lot of children have been let down and they will be disappointed."

The world record bid, organised by road safety charity Brake and Asda, is aiming to get more than 80,000 children walking to school at the same time.