CRIME prevention accolades were branded "Mickey Mouse awards" and a chance for free publicity for the council leader by firebrand Independent Councillor Harry Brooks.

He told Burnley Council: "Why is it necessary for two councillors to go to London to pick up Mickey Mouse awards?

"Is it that Councillor Kath Reade feels a compulsion to be anywhere that promises favourable publicity and a photo opportunity?"

Council leader Coun Reade and Coun Tony Harrison attended a ceremony in London last week to collect a local government partnership crime prevention award.

Coun Reade was not at the full council meeting when Coun Brooks made his accusations.

He continued: "When she is making threats of back me or sack me and there are not enough people to back her, is this humiliation the real reason for Coun Reade's absence from meetings?

"Crime is going down in Burnley but not significantly.

"Talk to victims of mindless vandalism and it is so much out of proportion, the real truth is not very pleasant at all."

Finance committee chairman Coun Peter Kenyon said: "Coun Reade has been in the forefront of the council's work on community safety and it is entirely appropriate that she should be there to receive the award.

"The reason she was not at the Labour group meeting was she was engaged as local government spokesman on community safety."

Coun Tony Harrison said the trip was at no cost to the council because it was sponsored by insurance companies.

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