A LABOUR councillor has denied branding residents on a Tyldesley estate as "junkies and smack heads".

Shakerley people were furious when they read the claims in a Liberal Democrat newsletter which dropped through their letterboxes.

According to the newsletter, Cllr Myra Whiteside made the remarks after a schools' organisation meeting when delegates voted to close Shakerley CE Primary School where the roll has fallen from 210 to just 59.

But Cllr Whiteside has denied ever making such remarks. "That is terrible. I would never say anything like that. I am upset about it. I have family who live there and they are also upset. I have had nasty phone calls since the leaflet appeared, " said Cllr Whiteside, who was targeted in Cllr Keith McManus's Focus Shakerley Special community newsletter.

The newsletter alleged she made the reference to "junkies and smack heads" after the SOC meeting when she responded to a comment about closing the school by Cllr David Higginbottom.

But Cllr Higginbottom has stood by the claims.

He said: "I'm absolutely certain that Councillor Whiteside did make the remarks attributed to her. I'm appalled that a Labour councillor holds such views about the residents of our estate. It just shows the hypocrisy and contempt in which they hold ordinary people."

The newsletter claimed Wigan education leader Cllr Brian Wilson supported Cllr Whiteside's alleged remark.

In response Cllr Wilson said: "I believe as I stated at the conclusion of the School Organisation Committee (SOC) meeting that it is important that we put the interests of the pupils of Shakerley School before anything else. It was vital that the Director of Children and Young People's Services ensured that the school its staff and its pupils were given every support during the next few months. Every support must also be given to Tyldesley St George's Central and Hindsford St Anne's Primary Schools, which are named as receiving schools to ensure as smooth a transition for the pupils as possible.

"The director has written to all parents to advise them of the options for their children and to assist them in making a decision. There will be sufficient places for every child in a local school.

"It is never an easy task to make decisions such as this for anyone involved and each of the four groups with a vote at the SOC, had the potential to veto the proposal. The majority in each group, Local Authority, Schools, Church of England and Roman Catholic voted with some sadness to close the school. For anyone to claim it was a party political decision flies in the face of the fact that only 3 of the 11 votes cast were by Labour Councillors.

"I am taking legal advice regarding the totally false and baseless allegations being made by opposition members and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage."

The alleged slur has infuriated people who live on the estate.

"We are disgusted, all my kids and grandchildren have been to Shakerley School. My mum worked there for 20 odd years," said an angry Mrs Margaret Middlehurst, who lives with her husband, Bill, in Rutland Road.

"We don't live in palaces but there are some decent families up here. We've lived here for over 30 years. We do help each other. They're brilliant people around here.

"We fought to keep the school open when closure plans were first revealed and were successful. But people were worried the school would close so they took their children to St George's and St Anne's. It has been a damned good school."

The committee decided to close Shakerley school on August 31. The school roll has fallen from 210 to just 59 pupils.