A BITTER row has broken out among Burnley's Liberal Democrats which has seen the resignation of two councillors amid allegations of 'bullying and intimidation'.

Husband and wife Margaret and Bill Brindle, who both represent the Deerplay and Coalclough ward on Burnley Council, have quit the group and will now sit as independents.

Group leader Cllr Gordon Birtwistle has accused Cllr Margaret Brindle of 'disloyalty' and 'voting against the wishes of the people of Burnley' in her work as a county councillor, where she was chairman of the council last year.

However the couple said there had been a deliberate campaign of rude, unprofessional and offensive e-mails' against them.

The row came to a head during the borough council's full council meeting on Wednesday, when Mrs Brindle voted against an amendment tabled by Cllr Birtwistle about the 2017/18 budget and council tax.

After the vote, heated words were exchanged and she later left the meeting during a recess.

Earlier this year, she was deselected from her county council seat after a vote by local party activists and now will not contest the May election.

Cllr Birtwistle said the group needed 'unity of purpose' and said the councillors 'jumped before they were pushed'.

In a statement Cllr Brindle said: "I wish to make it clear that I along with Cllr Bill Brindle, have resigned from the Burnley Liberal Democrat Group, and not the national Lib Dem party.

"It is with regret that I have reached this decision, following a year of bullying, intimidation and threats from senior members of the Burnley Lib Dem Group, led by, and orchestrated by former MP, Cllr Gordon Birtwistle, with the support of some so-called Lib Dems in the local party.

"The purpose of this totally unacceptable behaviour originated in February 2016, when Cllr Birtwistle attempted to coerce me as the chairman of the county council at the time, to vote in the full council budget meeting in accordance with his wishes for political campaigning purposes.

"I was threatened with de-selection as a county councillor as early as February 4, and the threat was extended to Cllr Bill Brindle, who was also threatened with de-selection at Burnley Council, if I did not ‘toe’ Gordon’s line.

"This intimidation and bullying combined with a relentless campaign of rude, unprofessional and offensive e-mails has continued to the present, culminating in overt bullying by Cllr Birtwistle in the Burnley Council Chamber on Wednesday, February 22.

"Cllr Birtwistle has deliberately campaigned against me as a sitting county councillor, telling residents that I would not be standing in May to defend my Burnley Rural Division seat, and at the same time promoting another Lib Dem member, prior to any approval and selection process, in contravention of the Burnley Lib Dem constitution.

"The interference by Cllr Gordon Birtwistle in county council matters to coerce and attempt to subvert the legitimate workings of a democratically-elected county council, is utterly contrary to the spirit of the democratic process.

"This does not mean that Cllr Bill Brindle and myself will be resigning as councillors from Burnley Council, and fully intend to continue representing the residents of Coal Clough with Deerplay Ward until 2020 and 2019 respectively as Independent Lib Dems, as we were elected to do.

"I will continue to be deputy leader of the county Lib Dem Group until the county elections.

"Formal complaints concerning the actions and behaviour of Cllr Birtwistle and other members of the Burnley group have been submitted to the national Lib Dem party, together with a request for a full investigation into the workings of the Lib Dem party in Burnley."

Cllr Birtwistle said the councillors 'jumped before they were pushed' and called for them to resign as they were elected under the banner of Burnley Liberal Democrats.

He said: "The group must have unity of purpose and for around a year we have not had that from Margaret.

"In her county council role she voted for Labour cuts to social care and to cut bus services in Burnley.

"In my opinion, that and her voting with the Labour group on Wednesday made her position untenable.

"She and Bill should immediately resign to give the voters of Deerplay and Coalclough the opportunity to vote again as they are not now representing the group they were elected under the badge of."