BRITISH National Party candidates will stand in seven wards at next month's council elections in Burnley after previously attempting to fight almost every ward.

And in Pendle the BNP is hoping to get its first councillor elected and has put eight candidates forward.

The party will contest Barrowford, Boulsworth, Clover Hill, Coates, Craven, Earby, Horsfield and Vivary Bridge.

The far-right party is seeking its first councillor in the borough, where one seat is up for grabs in each of 16 wards.

One seat is up for grabs in each of 15 wards in Burnley and the far-right party, which already has six councillors, will contest Hapton with Park, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Coalclough with Deerplay, Rosehill with Burnley Wood, Cliviger with Worsthorne, Brunshaw, and Briercliffe.

In previous council elections in Burnley the party has fielded candidates in almost every ward but a BNP spokesman said today its tactics had changed.

Labour council leader Coun Stuart Caddy said the BNP had been a huge disappointment to voters and could not now fulfill its prediction of taking control of the council within a year, made after last year's election.

"In the past we have put 'paper candidates' up, which might have been a mistake," Dr Phil Edwards said.

Liberal Democrats are standing in 13 wards, the largest number party has ever contested in Burnley. Lib Dem leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle said: "We are fighting for the largest number of seats we have ever contested and we have genuine candidates who have a real chance in many of those wards.

"We must hope that the BNP do not make any more gains and to ensure that does not happen people should not vote for the extremist parties."

Coun Caddy added: "The Labour group has worked hard to make Burnley a better place and we are on track with our three year plan for the borough.

"I remember a prediction at the last elections that the BNP would be in control of the council within a year, but that is an impossibility now because they are only fielding seven candidates.

"I think people have been put off voting for them because they have not been contributing in council. They have been a huge disappointment to the people who voted for them."

Conservative group leader Coun Peter Doyle said: "We have been able to field a candidate in every ward and therefore that every elector now has the chance to vote for a Conservative.

"I am also pleased to see that the extremists have had difficulty in finding candidates."

In Rossendale, which also has a third of its council standing for election, nine of the 12 seats being contested will be fought by Labour and Conservative candidates. Liberal Democrats field candidates in the remaining three seats.

Graham Pearson, a Labour councillor who stood down as leader of Rossendale Council in February, is up for re-election in the Fareholme ward.

Voting forms for the all-postal ballot are due to be sent to homes before the end of the month.