FOUR councillors have been condemned after a league table of meeting attendance records was published.
New figures show the majority of members of Burnley Council have turned out for 80 per cent of meetings or more.
But four councillors - two Liberal Democrat and two Labour members - have attended 40 per cent or less of their official duties.
Coun Imtiaz Hussain, of Bank Hall ward, has the worst attendance record, having attended only three out of 10 committees from May 2008 to the end of January 2009.
And Daneshouse and Stoneyholme councillor Zahir Ahmed and Coun Bernard Hill, who represents Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, have a 33 per cent turnout rate.
Coun Allen Harris, a Lib-Dem in Brunshaw, who has a 40 per cent attendance rate, blamed his absences on illness and work commitments.
He said: “I have been attending police meetings when no one else has, answering telephone calls and dealing with people’s queries.
“The reason that I became a councillor in the first place was to help people but I have not been in a position to turn down work.”
Coun Hill was unavailable for comment. However, Coun Gordon Birtwistle, leader of the council and ruling Liberal Democrat group, said: “Bernard works very unsociable hours in his job and it makes it very difficult for him to attend meetings.
“He works a lot of nights but he works very hard in his ward during the day and he is one of the hardest-working councillors we have got.”
Last April, Coun Ahmed faced banishment from the authority after failing to attend a council meeting in six months.
He said he had been caring for his sick father and was allowed to remain as a ward member for Daneshouse with Stoneyholme after attending a full council meeting. Since then, he has attended two out of six council meetings.
BNP group leader Sharon Wilkinson, who has a 100 per cent attendance record, said: “Our councillors attend meetings, which is what they were elected to do.
“It is okay for the Liberal Democrats and Labour to spout off about our attendance but here is the evidence.”
Coun Peter Doyle, Conservative group leader, added: “People should attend as many meetings as they possibly can when they are elected to the council.”
Couns Ahmed and Hussain were unavailable for comment.
New figures show the majority of members of Burnley Council have turned out for 80 per cent of meetings or more.
But four councillors - two Liberal Democrat and two Labour members - have attended 40 per cent or less of their official duties.
Coun Imtiaz Hussain, of Bank Hall ward, has the worst attendance record, having attended only three out of 10 committees from May 2008 to the end of January 2009.
And Daneshouse and Stoneyholme councillor Zahir Ahmed and Coun Bernard Hill, who represents Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, have a 33 per cent turnout rate.
Coun Allen Harris, a Lib-Dem in Brunshaw, who has a 40 per cent attendance rate, blamed his absences on illness and work commitments.
He said: “I have been attending police meetings when no one else has, answering telephone calls and dealing with people’s queries.
“The reason that I became a councillor in the first place was to help people but I have not been in a position to turn down work.”
Coun Hill was unavailable for comment. However, Coun Gordon Birtwistle, leader of the council and ruling Liberal Democrat group, said: “Bernard works very unsociable hours in his job and it makes it very difficult for him to attend meetings.
“He works a lot of nights but he works very hard in his ward during the day and he is one of the hardest-working councillors we have got.”
Last April, Coun Ahmed faced banishment from the authority after failing to attend a council meeting in six months.
He said he had been caring for his sick father and was allowed to remain as a ward member for Daneshouse with Stoneyholme after attending a full council meeting. Since then, he has attended two out of six council meetings.
BNP group leader Sharon Wilkinson, who has a 100 per cent attendance record, said: “Our councillors attend meetings, which is what they were elected to do.
“It is okay for the Liberal Democrats and Labour to spout off about our attendance but here is the evidence.”
Coun Peter Doyle, Conservative group leader, added: “People should attend as many meetings as they possibly can when they are elected to the council.”
Couns Ahmed and Hussain were unavailable for comment.
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