TORIES in Pendle have been accused of living in ‘cuckoo land’ after they praised the county council’s gritting service.

Andrew Stephenson, prospective parliamentary candidate for the borough, said he was ‘delighted’ by changes to the service.

He also wrote that the action had tried to safeguard against a ‘repeat situation’ of the previous year when the Labour-controlled Lancashire County Council came under fire for not providing enough grit on the roads.

A newsletter conveying the thoughts was delivered to homes in Pendle last week, when icy roads and a lack of grit on estates prompted an avalanche of complaints from residents.

But Liberal Democrat councillor David Whipp said: “After all the Tory promises at election time, the shambles of the roads and pavements in the last month has caused immense anger.

"The Conservatives must live in their very own cuckoo land to give them-selves a pat on the back for their performance.

“These guys are on another planet. It’s time they faced up to the harsh reality of the conditions people have had to cope with thanks to their failures.”

Last month, Labour councillor Eileen Ansar criticised the Tories for having a ‘shop local’ leaflet printed in Essex.

The latest material was printed in Dunnockshaw, near Burnley, prompting further complaints from the Labour member.

She said: “For him to talk about his hopes that Conservative changes to Pendle’s winter gritting will improve things, when our streets were in chaos for weeks, makes me wonder.”

County Coun George Askew, on behalf of Pendle Conservatives, said: “Andrew wrote the article in good faith.

“The county council has been in power for six months and has made big changes to the gritting service.

“That’s why it’s frustrating that the unprecedented weather was still too much.

"We have only added to what Labour did.

“If there had been the same amount of snow last year it would have been even worse.”