Councillor tells mystery writer to 'put up or shut up'

The letter, which contains no name or printing address, includes a phoney planning application to turn Darwen into the next Blackpool Pleasure Beach, crass sexual references and is critical towards Darwen campaigner Roy Davies.

It is not known how many copies of the A4 newsletter have been distributed and where to, but a copy was handed to Mr Davies, of Olive Lane, last week by a resident from the Sudell area who had the sheet posted through his letterbox.

Mr Davies said: "At first I thought it could have been the BNP because they've been doing quite a bit of work in the area.

"The letter doesn't have a clear message but it does suggest that not enough is being done in Darwen and it does take the mickey out of me.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion but I believe in the things I say and, at the end of the day, I want what's best for Darwen."

The BNP denied claims that their members wrote and published the letter.

BNP councillor Robin Evans, Mill Hill, said: "I can confirm that I don't know anything about this letter, neither do our members in Darwen. It's all news to us."

Darwen councillors were quick to discredit the underground activity.

Coun Karimeh Foster, Whitehall ward, said: "This type of thing can only be seen as wanting to stir trouble. If the people who are writing this newsletter care about Darwen so much they should show their faces and join us in our fight to regenerate Darwen.

"I hope Darwen people will ignore the letter and will focus their efforts on positive ways to get involved with improving the town."

Coun Dave Hollings, Sunnyhurst ward, said: "I take the view that if people aren't willing to put their names and addresses on things like this then you can't give them any credance.

"It's common decency to include publishing details and without it, you can't credit the newsletter. The writers should put up or shut up."