THE leader of Worcestershire County Council has sidestepped a bid to drag him into the EU debate - but Simon Geraghty isn't alone in his 'hush-hush' bunker.

Earlier this month we asked Sir Peter Luff, 23 years a county MP and ex-defence minister no less, to wade into the biggest issue facing Britain for a generation.

Alas, advisers at the Heritage Lottery Fund, which he now chairs, told him he must stay out of politics given his role leading a major public sector body.

But what the University of Worcester's Vice-Chancellor David Green will make of this barmy squeaky clean advice, lord only knows.

Only last month the professor made an impassioned public plea for voters to back staying in the EU, calling a potential Brexit a "hammer blow" to the entire nation.

* EARLIER this month we invited Worcester News readers to get involved in a Q&A with Councillor Geraghty, his first since becoming leader, by emailing their suggestions to the powers-that-be.

A sackful arrived at County Hall alright, for the attention of Councillor Richard Udall, the Labour chairman of the scrutiny board, but too many were so utterly offensive they were deemed "not appropriate" to be aired in public.

You crazy people.

* IT'S been three-and-a-half years since Barrie Sheldon was labelled a 'crony' after becoming former police and crime commissioner (PCC) Bill Longmore's deputy, but it appears mud still sticks.

UKIP PCC candidate Peter Jewell, speaking at a hustings event last week, said: "One of the first things people said to me on the doorsteps was 'are you going to appoint a friend as a deputy?'.

"I was pretty shocked at the question."

* LAVISH newspaper adverts have started to appear all over Worcestershire extolling the virtues of our PCC hopefuls, but more than a few people have raised eyebrows at one of the efforts doing the rounds.

Mr Jewell's ads, with the big headline 'crime is not a lifestyle option', do not carry a single UKIP reference, nor even the downtrodden party logo.

To be fair to the 'kipper he explained himself without any prompting at the hustings in Worcester's Cap 'N' Gown pub last Monday, telling the semi-sloshed gathering that he sees the PCC role as "not particularly political".

Try telling that to four of your rivals!

* MIND you, as the only 'real' declared independent in this grubby battle Barrie Sheldon is having a pretty ruff time of it even without the political sparring.

The ex-copper was delivering leaflets through a householder's door recently when an unruly dog excruciatingly bit him on the finger, leaving a nasty gash.

Someone arrest that mutt!