A BURNLEY BNP councillor has been kicked out of his party after fighting at its annual Red White and Blue festival.

Lanehead councillor Luke Smith today admitted violence at the event in Sawley and said a minder for party leader Nick Griffin "came off second" in the incident.

Coun Smith has also refused to apologise, saying his expulsion was part of a campaign by national BNP leaders to discredit the Burnley party.

The party has refused to elaborate on the weekend incident, but said Coun Smith had been expelled for behaviour that was 'incompatible with the party membership.'

It said Coun Smith had failed to carry out his duties as a councillor properly. It added the incident had caused the party "sadness, disappointment and embarrassment."

Today Coun Smith said: "I am not only shocked but also disgusted at this decision. The facts are these -- at the recent festival I was accosted by one of Nick Griffin's minders.

"I retaliated and he came off second best. The leadership of the BNP have long been looking for a reason to discredit Burnley BNP.

"This is due to the fact they have had no part to play in our success and they are not big enough to admit it.

"We have achieved our success in spite of and not because of them, who are not fit or worthy to lead this great party."

Coun Smith said he had been left in the dark about the BNP announcement, along with a second, contradictory party statement stating he had been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.

He said: "I have not been told officially about any of this but if the BNP say I have been expelled then I have to take it that that is the case."

The news comes less than a month after Coun Smith admitted to being banned from Burnley Football Club for life following his conviction for a football-related public order offence.

Police were not informed of the incident at the festival, which was a private event. If Coun Smith had been arrested and convicted of an offence of violence he could have faced expulsion from the town hall for a breach of a national code of conduct.

Following his expulsion from the BNP Coun Smith can either carry on as an independent for Lanehead or resign. If he decides to resign a by-election will be held.

The BNP, however is calling on Coun Smith to resign his seat.

A BNP spokesman added: "Following behaviour by Coun Luke Smith which is deemed to be incompatible with membership of the British National Party, coupled with a failure to properly fulfil his duties as a councillor, Mr Smith has been expelled by the party.

"He will no longer represent the British National Party on Burnley Council, nor will he take part in any party activities.

"The preference of his local party group would be that Coun Smith resigns his seat at the earliest opportunity and that an election be held to get a suitable representative for the ward."

The BNP's leader at Burnley Town Hall Coun Len Starr added: "My personal wish would be that he resign and we will be having conversations to that effect today."

Coun Starr also rubbished talk of a rift between party leader Nick Griffin and the Burnley branch of the party.

He added: "I have a very good working relationship with Nick Griffin. If anyone is trying to say there is a rift they are absolutely wrong."