A PROMINENT councillor has slammed Preston's Liberal Democrats for spending to much time on attacking personalities rather than politics.

Ken Hudson's outburst follows a string of incidents involving Preston Council's Lib Dems representatives, who have launched stinging attacks on councillors, often questioning their positions and accusing them of breaches in the council's code of practice.

Now Councillor Hudson plans to bring the issue, which has upset scores of local politicians, to a head at today's (Thursday) full council meeting, by presenting a motion condemning the Liberal Democrats tactics.

Recent incidents which have angered Coun Hudson included an attack on council leader Peter Rankin who, claimed the Lib Dems, shouldn't be allowed to sit the council's Town and Gown committee - a council/university group - because he works for the University of Central Lancashire.

And Coun Eric Fazackerley wasn't spared - they questioned his interests when he chaired the council's audit committee because he used to be a bank manager.

Coun Hudson fumed: "It is about time they stopped talking personalities and started looking at politics.

"Their dreadful personal attacks on other councillors presents a poor image to people outside the council which is appalling when their statements are totally unfounded.

"They are trying to mask the fact they have no principles by pulling everyone else down to their level."

But Lib Dem Bill Chadwick said: "At the moment the Conservatives, such as Coun Hudson, and the Labour Party are chewing from the same bowl of sour grapes.

"They are just concerned that they are losing their grip on power and that is why this motion has come into being."

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