LABOUR leaders are taking legal advice after a former Liberal boss turned the air blue during a clash with councillors before a town hall meeting.

Ex Lib-Dem chief Tony Greaves told Labour leader Azhar Ali he'd smash his face in and mounted an "abusive, threatening and insulting" verbal attack in the town hall.

Mr Greaves, now political advisor to the ruling Liberal group, then turned on ex-mayor Frank Clifford, swearing and branding him "the biggest hypocrite in the world."

Today the Liberal National Executive member was unrepentant and said: "It is true and I stand by what I said."

Now Labour bosses are seeking legal advice and say they are considering reporting Mr Greaves to the police, to curb his behaviour.

He added: "I was absolutely furious - angry and justifiably so after hearing Labour were proposing the most despicable motion, taking politics to its lowest point in the 25 years of Pendle council."

Mr Greaves was stung by a Labour call for a council ethical standards committee to investigate Liberal Coun Safdar Hussein who received discounted air tickets for himself and two members of his family when he linked with a fact-finding delegation to Kashmir.

Said Mr Greaves: "That motion was absolutely disgraceful, a personal attack and character assassination against a new councillor. "And I was particularly angry that when I met Coun Ali he was trying to be friendly with me.

"He is beneath contempt and not fit to be a councillor or group leader."

Coun Ali says he was shocked by the onslaught and called an emergency meeting of group leaders and council chief executive Stephen Barnes - but received no assurance that anything would be done about Mr Greaves.

"I am now taking legal advice from the National Labour Party in London and I will then decide what other steps to take.

"This outrageous behaviour must be stopped and dealt with before someone gets seriously hurt.

"I am not prepared to put up with it any longer."

Coun Clifford said Mr Greaves had a long history of abusive behaviour and he was considering a complaint to the police.

Labour Coun Tim Ormrod said: "Some members of the public will not come to council meetings because they are afraid of his personal attacks - it is time he was stopped."

Mr Greaves hit back: "Labour are pandering to racism and using the Pakistan trip to stir up racist feelings.

"It is not gutter politics -that is far above their level."

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