WORCESTER Twinning Association has rejected controversial plans to twin Worcester and Gaza following secret talks.

The decision not to pursue the link with the war-torn Middle Eastern city was revealed in an e-mail sent to your Worcester News yesterday morning.

Your Worcester News was not allowed to attend a confidential meeting at the Guildhall on Monday evening and City of Worcester Twinning Association chairman Nevill Swanson refused to announce the decision on the night.

Meanwhile, Labour city councillor Alan Amos, who initially proposed the Gaza plan, which was backed by the city council, was not at the meeting.

Instead he attended the local Labour party’s annual meeting, which was also held at the Guildhall.

He was not available to comment on his absence.

The twinning association, which is a voluntary, self-funded body, decided it did not have the resources to pursue the link with Gaza but expressed sympathy “with the sufferings of the people” of Gaza City.

It suggested that Worcester City Council could still organise and fund its own twinning project.

However, this idea was ruled out by the city council yesterday.

A spokesman said: “We note the outcome of the twinning association’s discussions and therefore have no plans to progress this matter further.”

Mike Foster, Labour MP for Worcester, said: “I think that the twinning association made the right decision, which was an entirely predictable decision. There is no surprise because of the obvious problems associated with twinning with Gaza.

“I would also say this is the result the city councillors wanted to happen.

“They knew that the twinning association would not recommend this, which is why, for me, it was a waste of time them debating it and sending it to the twinning association.

“There’s not a cat in hell’s chance the city council will now pursue it.”

Neil Laurenson, secretary of Worcester Stop the War, was one of about 30 people who gathered outside the Guildhall and supported the twinning.

The 27-year-old, of Rainbow Hill, Worcester, said: “We weren’t expecting it to go through. But we are still twinned with Gaza despite the verdict last night although we are disappointed they were not formally twinned.”

Mr Swanson, chairman of the twinning association, was asked why he declined to tell your Worcester News about the decision on Monday evening.

He said: “We just wanted to be certain about what we wanted to do and we weren’t quite sure whether we had to tell the council first. We did send the statement out at midnight. It was just to work out what we were going to say.”