BURNLEY council finance vice-chairman Betsy Stringer has joined the growing list of Labour councillors who will not be defending their seats at May's municipal polls.

Office worker Coun Stringer, who has represented the Whittlefield with Ightenhill ward since 1994, has written to party chiefs stating she will not be seeking re-selection.

Also retiring is former mayor and long-serving recreation committee chairman Arthur Park, the only man to have served two terms as civic leader - taking over again temporarily last year when Coun Peter Swainston resigned after admitting a charge of gross indecency in a public toilet. Fulledge ward's Howard Eccles will also be stepping down after eight years on the council, but says he may return in the future after a charge against him of indecent assault on another man, is dealt with by Crown Court.

Trinity ward's Wendy Croft, the council's equal opportunities committee chairman, has also announced she will not stand this time after 14 years' service.

The Burnley college lecturer has also started a full time Manchester University course, giving her much less time to concentrate on council duties.

Not due for re-election, but also gone, is former economic and property chairman Marcus Johnstone, who recently resigned from the council because of extra commuting problems after taking on a new job as a college lecturer in Southport.

A total of 20 names - many of them sitting councillors seeking re-election - appear on the panel of possible Labour candidates at May's elections.

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