THE British National Party is snubbing Clitheroe Town Council in the local elections after claiming it is not powerful enough to get anything done.

The far-right party has lined up a candidate for each of the five Clitheroe wards in the Ribble Valley borough elections.

But a BNP spokesman today said the party had decided not to field the candidates in corresponding wards for the town council.

Elections for the 40 seats on Ribble Valley Borough Council are held at the same time as elections for the 10-strong town council.

Candidates in Clitheroe wards usually stand simultaneously for both councils, but the BNP has decided to give the town council a miss.

BNP Lancashire spokesman Simon Bennett said the party had decided to focus on winning borough council seats.

"The borough council is where the power is, where the decisions are made, and that's where we will be concentrating our efforts.

"The BNP needs a voice in Clitheroe at borough level and our candidates will be fighting on a platform that puts the interests of townspeople first.

"Depending on how we perform at these elections, we may consider fielding candidates for Clitheroe Town Council in the future, but at the moment we don't feel it is powerful enough. We're aiming higher."

But Clitheroe councillor Stephen Sutcliffe, who is also a borough and county councillor, said: "Clitheroe Town Council is at the grassroots of local politics.

"It is at the forefront of many local initiatives, including the town's leisure centre, landscaping and lighting schemes, and distributes grants to numerous organisations."

His wife, Margaret Sutcliffe, who is also a town and borough councillor, added: "The BNP says it wants to bring a breath of fresh air into Clitheroe politics and isn't even standing for election to the town council.

"Clitheroe Town Council undertakes a lot of work for the community and I'm afraid the BNP is way off the mark with this one."

Clitheroe Town Council has an annual budget of around £80,000, its own mayoralty and civic regalia, and an annual award scheme.

The BNP threatened to field candidates in the Ribble Valley elections after winning the Mill Hill by-election in Blackburn last November.