FURIOUS Bewdley Carnival volunteers have demanded an apology after claiming town mayor Frank Baillie told them they "couldn't organise a p*** up in a brewery".

Mr Baillie, one of eight Health Concern candidates elected to Bewdley Town Council earlier this year, has also been hit with a resignation call over the alleged incident by a former Labour mayor.

Paul Gittins and carnival secretary Angela Pitt are also fuming over Mr Baillie's failure to respond to three letters they have sent him.

Mr Baillie did not deny making the statement but told the Shuttle/Times & News he could not recall doing so, adding: "It's not the sort of thing I would say."

And his reaction to their concerns over his failure to reply to their letters was unequivocal.

"Tough," Mr Baillie said. "I don't plan to. "

"I will not dignify comments made based on idle mischievous gossip or which are made to engage in a political fishing exhibition."

This year's carnival was hit by World Cup fever as supporters who had promised to staff stalls and organise floats stayed away to watch England's football team beat Denmark 3-0.

Mr Baillie's comments were allegedly made on the morning of Saturday, June 15 at Bewdley Leisure Centre.

Two members of the carnival committee claimed the "p*** up" comment was made following confusion over the arrangements for the day, said Mrs Pitt.

She said the two committee members were upset and offended and she wrote to Mr Baillie a few days later.

"The committee works very hard throughout the year to organise the carnival. The members give all their time voluntarily and the least they expect of the mayor is respect for what they do and the time they give to our town," she told him.

Mr Gittins, Bewdley mayor in 1999-2000 and a member of the carnival committee, has since written to Mr Baillie twice.

He said: "In view of his remarks, and more importantly his refusal to answer or even acknowledge our letters, I feel he should seriously consider resigning his position as Mayor of Bewdley.

"As mayor he should be supporting and promoting our voluntary organisations, not insulting them."

But Mr Baillie countered: "Councillor Paul Gittins has engaged in a campaign of politically mischievous correspondence with my wife and I over the last two years or so and appears to be looking for any opportunity to pursue what seems by now to have become a vendetta."