WAR veterans from Accrington's RAF Association will boycott the town's official Remembrance Day wreath-laying ceremony for the fourth consecutive year.

Although a compromise was reached last year about the parade and church service on Remembrance Sunday, the air force contingent will once again snub the town's mobile cenotaph in favour of their own arrangements on Monday.

They will join the official parade, leaving the car park on Crawshaw Street at 10.30am tomorrow, and service at St James Church, Cannon Street, Accrington.

But after the service they will disband while the rest of the congregation lays wreaths at a mobile cenotaph outside the town hall.

Instead the members of the association will have their own wreath laying ceremony at 11am on Monday in Oakhill Park, which will be attended by the Mayor.

The split happened three years ago when a new service was introduced in a bid to save veterans from a steep walk to the conventional cenotaph in Oak Hill Park.

It follows a row at Great Harwood Royal British Legion which will hold its own march and service after St Bartholomew's vicar, the Rev Janet Heil, refused to move forward the civic event.

"Certain people suggested it was too steep and too far for people to go," said Tom Parsons, honorary secretary of the RAF Association's Accrington branch.

"We chose not to follow that route. We said the cenotaph is where it is and we stuck to that. We said quite reasonably that there was no reason why the authority couldn't lay on two or three coaches to the park like we do.

"We honour the dead by going to the cenotaph in Oak Hill Park. Feelings haven't changes. I think some of the views expressed were taken out of context. All we said was we would honour the dead in our usual way at the cenotaph. That's all we have every done.

And he again hit out at the plastic monument. "It's not the town's cenotaph. It's as simple as that. The custom was decreed 80 years ago by the burghers of this town to be in Oakhill Park."

Doris Cassidy, secretary of the Accrington Royal British Legion, said there was no quarrel with the RAF Association.

"We invited them. If they choose to go somewhere else, that's up to them. It's what's in your heart that matters, not where it is."

The coach for Monday's service will leave Brooks Club, Infant Street, at 10.30am.

"Last year and again this, both sides have done their best to compromise and be friends, despite the silly differences which took place two or three years ago," said Mr Parsons.

Maroon flash rockets will be set off across the borough to mark the start and finish of the traditional two minutes silence on Monday.