SIX defectors have been branded by their former colleagues as electoral cheats, whose decision to leave the Labour Party and become independent councillors robbed people of their votes.

Reporter DANNY BRIERLEY spoke to residents in Audley, Bastwell and Queen's Park to find out what the voters think. . .

THE six independent councillors who hold the balance of power on Blackburn with Darwen Council held a public meeting in Audley on Sunday, and explained their actions to hundreds of residents.

The meeting was hailed as a success by the Muslim councillors and afterwards they said they had been given the backing of their largely Asian communities.

But, despite their confidence, not everyone is happy with last week's events, which led to the imminent break up of Labour's power base. While a handful of people have expressed sympathy with the idea that some of the councillors were being blamed for the loss of council leader Sir Bill Taylor's seat, many felt walking away from Labour was a step too far.

Some backed Labour and the party's argument that the decision to remove Coun Mahfooz Hussain from his education portfolio, which they claim sparked the row.

Many people are worried that links to a party that has served them so well in the past could be irrevocably damaged forever.

But not everyone in these wards is Asian and the meeting held at Jan's conference centre did nothing to allay their fears.

Some people, who refused to be named or photographed because of the sensitivity of the matter, did feel that the actions of Mahfooz Hussain (Bastwell), Yusuf Jan-Virmani (Audley), Parwaiz Akhtar (Bastwell), Iftakhar Hussain (Bastwell), Salim Mulla (Queen's Park) and Faryad Hussain (Queen's Park) were justified.

The majority, however, felt let down.

Musud Ahmed, a student of Mandela Court, Bastwell, said: "They should stand down and fight a by-election so that people are given a real choice. The Labour Party is right, the elections need to be held again and I think the six councillors know that."

Muhammad Akbar, of Whalley Range, Bastwell, said: "The voters have been robbed and what those six councillors did was a slap in the face of the electorate. We did not vote for independent councillors.

"The only reason some people turned up to hear what they had to say on Sunday was because they laid on free food. This will damage the reputation of Pakistanis in Blackburn."

Donald Smith, 72, a retired engineer from Stirling Drive, Audley, said: "I feel disgusted because no one was given any warning about what was going to happen. Why stand for one political party and then change so soon after the election?"

Asif Iqbal, 25, a sweet centre assistant from North Road, Audley, said: "Nobody is happy about them resigning because there was no need for them to do it. They could have stayed with Labour and fought their corner. It looks as though they were only thinking of themselves."

Violet Sullivan, 82, of Cherry Close, Audley, said: "I think there is something funny going on, I really do. I voted Labour and so did most people in Audley but we haven't got a Labour councillor now. My vote has been taken away from me."

Imran Yousaf, a 21-year-old student of Wimberley Street, Bastwell, said: "I feel as though they have cheated people. I know that there are some issues about why they left but it was not the right thing to do. If they look back I think a couple would change their minds if they could."