BURNLEY town hall's members' room has been taken over by the fish and chip eating public, declared Coun Gordon Birtwistle.

He said the room, furnished with armchairs and ornaments was once a quiet sanctuary for councillors escaping the heat of council chamber debate, but now resembled a canteen as outsiders poured in.

He told the policy committee: "It is used as no more than a canteen. People come in and use it for hours on end.

"Some were eating fish and chops on one occasion," he added.

Officer Tom Forshaw said the public had become used to using the room, even without personal invitations from councillors.

Despite the criticism, the committee agreed to continued use of the members' room by the public.

Labour's John Harbour said it was ironic the only people voicing concern were opposition party members who pretended to be the ones representing the public.

Finance chairman Peter Kenyon said allowing the public to use the members' room had been a very useful part of opening up the town hall.

Councillors also agreed to ban smoking in the members' room - making the whole town hall a no-go area for smokers.

Ex-cigar smoker Coun Kenyon said the council had a responsibility to look after the health and safety of people who used the town hall.

Coun Philip Walsh, chairman of the public protection committee, disagreed, announced he was going for a smoke in the members' room and left the meeting declaring: "Dictatorship! dictatorship!"

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