PARTY bosses at Burnley Council were meeting today for showdown talks to find a new leader.

Group leaders and deputies were called to crisis talks at the town hall in a bid to form a cross party coalition to rule Burnley.

The talks have been tabled after control of the executive, the council's main decision making body, was wrested from Labour at a council meeting on Wednesday night.

Leader Stuart Caddy and four other members of the executive resigned after a series of motions slashed the executive from nine to five members and proposed a coalition administration for the council.

Names in the frame for a new leader include Liberal Democrat leader Gordon Birtwistle, who proposed this week's changes, and Conservative group leader Peter Doyle, a well respected member of the council, but thought to be reluctant to take the job of council leader.

Labour have said they will play no part in the negotiations because of the involvement of the British National Party.

They have promised to form an opposition.

Coun Caddy today said: "We will be attending the meeting as party group leader, but we will not be joining the discussions on a coalition. The official Labour line is that we will form an opposition.

"As a party we have fundamental political differences with the British National Party, who will be at the talks, and we cannot participate in any negotiations with them."

The far right British National Party group, led by Coun Len Starr, will join the talks but are unlikely to be given any places on a cross-party executive. Coun Starr today ruled himself out of the leadership race and said he could not imagine anyone supporting him.

Coun Birtwistle said: "I would like to see Labour turn up for the negotiations in order to try and sort out this situation. We want to try and work together for the good of Burnley and the people of the town.

"The British National Party are entitled to take part in the negotiations, but will not be accepted as a part of any coalition executive.

He said: "I would be quite prepared to take the position of leader of the executive if I had the support of a majority in the chamber."

A meeting of the full council will be held on Wednesday, September 1, to appoint the new leader and executive - providing that the negotiations set to start today are successful.