A COUNCILLOR targeted by terrorists who sent him poison through the post said he was struggling to overcome the traumatic experience.

Blackburn with Darwen Councillor John Wright said he and his family had been through a "terrible time" after the caustic soda was sent to him.

And he said he was now wary of opening mail in case other extremists target him.

At court today two men who sent poisoned vodka to Coun Wright and a Scottish journalist were each jailed for six years.

Wayne Cook, 45, and Steven Robinson, 42, both from Greater Manchester, posted a lethal concentration of caustic soda in miniature bottles as part of a campaign for Scottish independence.

The two packages were sent to both Coun Wright and Scottish Daily Express journalist Myra Philp in April 2007.

One of the bottles was accompanied by a note which threatened to kill English people "at random and with no discrimination or compunction" and to poison England's water supply.

After the case, Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter said: "Be in no doubt these men are terrorists. This was not some clumsy joke. It was a serious attempt to cause real harm and intimidation."

At court it was said that the poison was sent to Coun Wright because Cook had a grudge against Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Coun Wright said he believes that he was chosen at random by the pair.

The package sent to Coun Wright contained a poisoned vodka bottle with the message "Congratulations on a Labour victory. Have a drink on me."

After the case, Coun Wright said: "I am just glad that it is all over and delighted that they have both been given six years in prison.

"The whole experience has certainly set me on edge. It has been a difficult and traumatic time for me and my family and made me think very carefully about our safety."

Unemployed father-of-three Cook was last week found guilty under anti-terror laws of two counts of using noxious substances or things to cause harm and intimidate.

Robinson pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing.

In a more diluted state sodium peroxide, also known as caustic soda, is used as a heavy-duty cleaning chemical.

However, the concentration found in the bottles sent to the two victims was such that if even a small amount had been drunk it could have led to death.

The chemical can also be very dangerous if handled without protection.

One package was delivered to the journalist in Glasgow, and the other was intercepted in Blackburn sorting office. No-one was injured.

Manchester Crown Court heard that the pair were part of a campaign by the Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA) to force the UK Government out of Scotland.

Passing sentence, Judge Robert Atherton said: "People are entitled to their views - they are not entitled to the sort of actions which that organisation carries out.

"What you did was very dangerous indeed."

He told Cook that he accepted his role in the plot had been less than Robinson's but that his failure to plead guilty meant he should receive the same sentence.