BLACKBURN with Darwen's ruling councillors have been accused of "conning the people" in a row over changes to the town's festivals.

Labour opposition members claim the controversial decision to replace the Mela ethnic culture events and Arts in the Park music event with a single town-centre festival has not been debated enough.

The political fall-out to the decision saw Labour taking the unusual step of calling all councillors to an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the proposals - a move slammed by the ruling coalition as a "political stunt" and a waste of taxpayers' money.

The Conservative, Liberal Democrat and For Darwen coalition then announced they had "called in" the decision to merge the festivals, which would have seen it considered by a separate "scrutiny" committee.

But then they withdrew the proposal and the scrutiny meeting was cancelled.

Labour leader Coun Kate Hollern said the extraordinary meeting, on November 27, was curtailed with the promise of more debate by the scrutiny committee.

She said: "I think it's scandalous. The consultation was obviously a farce.

"The council meeting was closed down after an hour. We were told there was plenty of opportunity to discuss it at the scrutiny.

"Then they withdrew it. They have conned the people of Blackburn."

Conservative council leader Coun Colin Rigby admitted calling in the council's decision was "about making political points" to Labour, and claimed the party should have followed that procedure rather than resorting to the extraordinary meeting.

He said: "At the meeting, we felt they had asked more than enough questions than were necessary.

"A lot of them were misguided and misleading."