LIBERAL Democrat councillors stormed out of a Preston committee meeting last week after the chairman branded one of the members a 'sick man'.

The astonishing verbal assault, made by ex-mayor and leisure services committee chairman Rose Kinsella, was aimed at Coun Mick Moulding, who she claimed 'was a sick man and should need help'.

Coun Moulding had intervened in a row between Coun Kinsella and Lib Dem leisure spokesman Mike Onyon, who had been accused by last year's mayor of making 'snidey' comments about how she chaired the group.

After Coun Kinsella's outrageous comments, the four-strong Lib Dem group - comprising of Mike Onyon, Michael Moulding, Ann Green and Chrstine Abram - walked out of the meeting.

Now town clerk Jim Carr is being asked to take action to punish Coun Kinsella, a long-standing and highly-regarded councillor, following her outburst. Coun Moulding said: "These comments were completely out of the blue. She should not call me mental or personally attack my family.

"I cannot believe some councillors will stoop to such a level as to attack a member's family. I have also written to Coun Kinsella to find out why she said what she did."

The latest incident will do little to boost Preston's tarnished political record, which last month hit new lows when council leader Peter Rankin branded his council a 'national laughing stock'.

Coun Onyon said: "I do not feel I should be the subject of what was a blatant personal attack. No one should."

But Coun Kinsella, whose status as one of the town's favourite councillors was last year noted with the creation of a rose garden in her honour, stood by her comments. She said: "I lost my temper, something I have never done before. I am fed up of the level of abuse levelled at me."

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