BURY Council could face disciplinary action from the national Museums Association (MA) in the row over the sale of a Lowry painting.

The council sold LS Lowry's painting entitled A Riverbank for £1.4 million at auction to help to balance its books.

Mark Sanders, Bury Council chief executive, said the MA's president caused "resentment" by accusing the authority of "cultural vandalism".

The council has now resigned from the body. But the MA may still decide to expel the council retrospectively.

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council is yet to decide whether Bury will lose its museum accreditation, which would affect the grants for which the authority is eligible.

The picture was bought by the council for £175 in 1951. It sold for more than twice the expected price at Christie's in London on November 17.

In a letter to MA president Charles Saumarez Smith, Mr Sanders said he felt the result of any association inquiry was "pre-ordained".

He added: "Bury stands accused of arbitrary cultural vandalism'. I have no doubt this had the ring of a good media soundbite during the annual conference week, but it was the cause of some resentment among the members of this council. Please consider this letter as the formal resignation of Bury MBC from the association."

Caitlin Griffiths, the MA's adviser on professional issues, said the sale represented a "dark day" for museums.

"We hope that the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council takes swift action to deter other local authorities from doing the same thing, and that what has happened at Bury is a deplorable one-off.

"The association will now proceed with disciplinary proceedings against Bury. The disciplinary panel will meet in early December."