PRESTON'S Liberal Democrats have been left with egg on their faces after dropping a clanger in a propaganda news sheet.

Just weeks after promising to campaign for a new bus stop to be placed where there already is a bus shelter, Lib Dem representatives have decided to back a residents' group which doesn't exist!

Their second oversight looks set to affect another attempt by the Lib Dems to gain a councillor seat in Avenham and Riversway.

They have already been embarrassed by Alan Valentine, who is alleged to have called himself 'councillor' even though he has lost three successive elections.

Now they have been made the laughing stock of Avenham and Frenchwood, after Mr Valentine's brother Paul promised to help support the Frenchwood Residents' Association's battle to improve a local bus service - even though no such group exists. There is a Frenchwood Community School, a Frenchwood Social Club, Frenchwood Allotment Society and even a Frenchwood Residents Neighbourhood Watch Group - but no residents association!

Pauline Sharples, of Ruskin St, said: "We never heard anything from the Lib Dems until recently, when they started sending leaflets out and stirring up trouble with our local councillors.

"People are annoyed that they aren't taking the trouble to learn about the area, and can't even find a real residents group."

Local councillor Ken Cole said: "If the Lib Dems continue leafleting this area, then they should get their facts right first."

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "It is a shame that Labour councillors feel the need to make politics out of things like this."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.