A REDDITCH councillor is fuming borough meetings have been postponed because of county elections.

Conservative borough councillor Brandon Clayton slammed the decision to put back the borough's neighbourhood group and committee meetings despite the fact there are no Redditch Council elections this year.

County elections have been postponed from May to June because of the foot and mouth crisis.

Mr Clayton said: "There is no borough election this year. We are sending out the wrong message, especially with foot and mouth going on.

"We are saying Redditch is closed."

But council leader Albert Wharrad said: "He's stirring. The officership of the council took an educated guess that since we are all members of political parties, we will be spending time doing election work.

"So meetings have been rescheduled so we can carry out election work."