THE chairman of Worcest-ershire County Council was forced into an embarrassing climbdown after being criticised for slighting those affected by the Pakistan earthquake.

Councillor Peter McDonald rounded on Derek Prodger for spending longer talking about the death of racehorse Best Mate - owned by Mr Prodger's longtime friend Jim Lewis - than reflecting on the victims of the natural disaster.

The slapdown came after the Chairman's Announce-ments in Thursday's Wor-cestershire County Council meeting at County Hall.

Labour's Coun McDonald, from the Beacon ward, in Bromsgrove, said: "I hope the chairman is aware he spent longer talking about a horse than the people who died in Pakistan. That doesn't reflect the true feelings of the people in the chamber."

Mr Prodger 'unreservedly apologised' to council and agreed to write to anyone he had offended by his remarks.

The unusual situation arose after Coun Prodger welcomed Malik Fayaz, of Worcestershire Racial Equa-lity Council, to the meeting and presented a cheque for £1,000 from the county council staff for earthquake relief.

He also presented a book of condolences to Mr Fayaz and praised Worcestershire's residents, who have raised more than £100,000 in total for the disaster emergency funds. A minute's silence followed.

He then spoke for some minutes - a similar total length of time - on his memories of Best Mate and the council agreed to write a letter of condolence to Mr Lewis. However, Coun McDonald was critical of his comments and timing. In a letter he drafted to the chairman, Coun McDonald wrote: "Your remarks and time spent on the dead horse was not shared by a number of us in the chamber, and certainly those of Asian descent in the public gallery.

"In the circumstances I feel an apology should be made by yourself to those who may have been offended by the time and passion in regards the dead horse."