A FORMER Labour councillor has spoken of the worst week of his life during which he lost his business, his home and his council seat.

Two weeks ago John Burke had a pub he was planning to buy and a council seat to defend at the elections.

But it all turned sour when less than a week before the local elections, in which he lost his Clayton-le-Moors seat by 129 votes, the pub deal fell through.

"I was going through the final stages of buying the pub then someone offered more and that was that" he said.

With the deal collapsing came the loss of his home -- John had been landlord at the Albion pub, Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, for nearly five years .

"If I'd stayed I'd have been miserable, so I came out so I could get on with my life. I felt strange and really down."

He didn't find a home before he left the pub and was forced to take up an offer to sleep on a sofa from friend and council colleague, David Myles. The ironic move came the night after a concert which raised more than £700 for homeless charity Maundy Relief, organised by Mr Burke.

"I didn't have anywhere to go apart from David 's offer. It was ironic and that's why I thought there was a touch of destiny."

The final crunch came when former councillor Janet Storey took John's seat by 129 votes. He said: "It was the worst week of my life, like when you finish a relationship and your whole world has gone. I've just finished the relationship with everything I had in Clayton-le-Moors."

Worse was to come when rumours started that he had gone bankrupt or left the pub owning money.

"I had people saying I had done a bunk with a load of cash," he said. "But I haven't gone bust or done a bunk. People know I didn't do anything like that."

After the trials of the last two weeks things have started to look up for Mr Burke.

He explained: "I've got a council flat and should be moving in some time this weekend. And I've been going round seeing friends. It's nice to have time to myself and I'm starting to think it was a godsend."

He is even thinking about another pub and winning another seat on the council.

"I'd like to stay in the industry and I'll be looking once things have settled down.

"It's been peculiar since election night. I was shellshocked. I said before the election all I need is to lose the election to round things off because things come in threes.

"But I believe in destiny -- it was meant to be. Things happen and people get through them. It was a bad week, but life goes on.

"I'll definitely stand again maybe next year. I'd love to stand against the BNP because whatever they say they are Fascists."