LEISURE Parcs is misleading the Government over support for casinos says a local Lib Dem.

Blackpool Liberal Democrat chairman Steven Bate said: "Leisure Parcs has sent the Government a document containing a lot of misleading material. Page after page contains references to widespread local support."

A statement in the document that more than 70 per cent of Blackpool residents supported the casinos plan was misleading, says Mr Bate, because it was based on the opinion of a few hundred people.

He also claimed the 70 per cent figure was revealed at a recent full council meeting to have dropped to 58 per cent when interviewees heard arguments against the proposals.

The Leisure Parcs' document, titled Resort Casinos -- Making it Happen, was sent to the Department of Media, Culture and Sport (DMCS) in October in response to the report of the Gambling Review Body.

Marc Etches, managing director of Leisure Parcs said: "I think it's very important that the community fully debates this issue, but at the same time we have been very careful to ensure that anything we have said is supportable and our document that we have sent to the Government is factual.

"One of the things we rely upon in making that statement is a report that the local authority and Blackpool Challenge Partnership has had done. We have seen the basis of that work and it was carried out from a professional and reputable company and is statistically reliable."

Mr Bate also queried whether Blackpool Council has actually expressed support for the proposals.

"Council Leader Roy Fisher said the council has no formal opinion for or against the casino proposals," he said.

In response Coun Fisher said: "It is true, the council hasn't yet reached a decision on casinos." And the council was looking at gathering local opinion via a committee, he said.

He added that the council has received a planning application from Leisure Parcs for an area within the town which would be considered by the planning committee in due course.