ANGRY bowlers are calling for a local councillor to resign after they claimed he failed to live up to a promise to support them.

The members of Smith's Recreation Bowling Club in Preston, who have been campaigning for a new fence to be erected around their green to keep vandals at bay for more than six months, claim local councillor Ron Atkins has not supported them at all - even though they say he told them that he would.

Representatives of the bowling club sat through the latest full council meeting, expecting support from local councillors.

Butthey watched in amazement as Coun Atkins said nothing and, according to the bowlers, the only time he has spoken about them was to knock them in a committee meeting. John Taylor, from the club, said: "I always thought a gentleman's word was as good as a promise, but that obviously isn't the case. We are just being used as a political football by the likes of Coun Atkins, who refuse to support us because we are supported by the Liberal Democrats.

"If Coun Atkins was to support to us, then we would have cross-party support and something would get done."

Instead the bowlers claim the vandals are continuing to wreck their treasured green while the council continues to stall a decision about how to help the annoyed bowlers.

Mr Taylor added: "It is obvious that if a councillor is not prepared to stand up for what his constituents want, he should resign.

"That is what Coun Atkins should do. His antics have disappointed us all. Perhaps we were just naive."

Coun Atkins, who serves the Avenham ward, said: "I do not see why I should resign."

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