A LABOUR boss has spoken of his bitter disappointment over being dumped from a new power-sharing executive to run Burnley -- after party colleagues voted to replace him with a Liberal Democrat.

Cliviger councillor Philip Walsh hit out at a new Lib-Lab pact which has resulted in three of the nine top executive spots going to Liberal Democrats -- leaving him out in the cold.

Coun Walsh has been chairman of the powerful public protection committee for five years and challenged the move to replace him with LibDem Charlie Bullas when the executive takes control of running the council in May.

But at a special meeting of Labour councillors, who make up the largest single party on the hung council, members this week voted 16-6 to hand the portfolio to run the town's markets and licensing issues to Coun Bullas.

Said Coun Walsh: "I feel horrible about it.

"It is very disappointing when Labour Party members vote their colleagues off to make a pact with the Liberal Democrats."

Coun Walsh said he was surprised by the size of the vote against him.

"Colleagues had offered a lot of support for me before the meeting, but for some reason changed their minds when it came to the vote."

He said he would continue to serve as a councillor, a Labour man and a socialist.

Other LibDem councillors earmarked for places on the executive are LibDem leader Gordon Birtwistle, who will be executive member without portfolio and former teacher Roger Frost who is expected to get the planning brief.

Coun Birtwistle today dismissed suggestions that the LibDems for so long the main opposition to Labour, had sold out.

"We have entered the executive on our terms and with the clear intention of playing our part and using our abilities for improving the town," he said.

"It will be run as a non-political executive -- if it becomes political and we are dissatisfied with what goes on, we can, at the end of the day, leave it."

Coun Caddy and deputy Andy Tatchell are earmarked to retain those roles on the executive, with finance chairman Peter Kenyon retaining control of resources, and Barry Guttridge and Stephen Wolski remaining in charge of recreation and regeneration respectively.

A new portfolio of social welfare executive is expected to be taken by present mayor Rafique Malik.

The main opposition group on the council, the Independents refused to seek places on the executive because Labour would not agree to a constitution which reflected the evenly spit nature of the elected council -- opting instead for an executive which left them well in charge.

Independent group leader Harry Brooks said: "We wouldn't touch this executive with a barge pole."