WAR veterans have snubbed a Remembrance Sunday church service after a row over the two-minute silence divided their town.

Great Harwood Royal British Legion is to hold its own march and service after St Bartholomew's vicar Janet Heil refused to move the civic event forward.

Members wanted a two-minute silence at the town's cenotaph at 11am and claimed the silence wasn't observed in the town last year.

Their alternative event is being backed by local groups, including the scouts and guides.

Today Royal British Legion bosses and civic leaders appealed for a reconciliation.

Great Harwood chairman Len Myerscough said: "We asked church leaders if they would change the service by half an hour so we could be at the cenotaph at 11am. We are generally in the church from 10.30 to 11.30 and don't get to the cenotaph until noon.

"We received comments from people who had waited at the cenotaph last year and asked why we weren't there. We had a very heated meeting with church leaders, as a result of which we have now decided to make our own arrangements."

The legion members will process from Great Harwood Town Gate at 10.30am on Sunday and pass down Park Lane before reaching the war memorial in Memorial Park at 10.50.

The vicar said: "Normally we have a service at 10.30am and pause for the two-minute silence at 11am. Then we go to the war memorial and have a second service with other churches and the Royal British Legion at 11.50am. This system has been going on for a long time.

"It's very difficult to time a service for a silence at 11am and I don't see any reason for changing. They have decided they want a change and I can't accommodate it. Church law requires me to hold a communion service every Sunday."

Hyndburn commissioner for Scouts Glennis Duxbury, who runs St Wulstan's Scouts in Great Harwood, said: "We can see both sides of the story, but feel the two-minute silence is the most important part of the event and have therefore decided to join the Royal British Legion parade."

Karen Coe, public relations advisor for Great Harwood Guides, said joining the Royal British Legion parade was in the best interests of about 50 girls from the town's two Guide and five Brownie groups.

"We took a vote on the matter but it is very sad that it has come to this. I stress we are not taking sides."

Stephen Aspin, of Great Harwood Civic Society, added: "The fact is, people want to be at the cenotaph at 11am and that is precisely what our members will be doing."

Royal British Legion Lancashire chairman Peter Yates: "We place great importance on remembering the 11th hour and this is incorporated into civic celebrations. We promote Remembrance Sunday, but don't have a monopoly on it.

"It is a civic event organised by individual communities and we are invited to participate like anyone else.

"Ideally, we all want to reach cenotaphs by 11am, but this is not always possible and we can't expect churches to move their services."

Great Harwood councillor Win Frankland added: "Hyndburn Council organises Remembrance Sunday with considerable input from the Royal British Legion. A meeting between all parties to try and resolve the matter resulted in a very heated discussion. It's a shame that it's come to this."