[Gayle]

Well I have been into the council offices and got to the bottom of wreathgate!

There was a lot of organisation involved with saturday's event - sound systems, road closures, order of service, buffet, names on plaque etc etc. Someone suggested that wreaths should be ordered and that it would be appropriate for the Leader of the Council, the Leader of the Opposition (as it happens Clare Pritchard stood in for Graham) and the Mayor on behalf of the people of Accrington, should lay a wreath.

These were duly ordered via the British Legion. They arrived but weren't checked until the morning of the event. The British Legion organised the wreaths and just did the standard Conservative, Labour and HBC ones that they have done many times in the past. So, when the wreaths were checked on the Saturday morning it was only then that it was discovered that the centres were emblazoned with logos. From what I can understand there was a lot of frustration when this was discovered but both parties agreed that it would be better to carry a wreath with the party name on rather than no wreath at all.

So you could start with recriminations - someone should have been clearer with instructions, someone at the Legion should have checked what was required rather than assuming to do the norm, someone at the Council should have checked the wreaths on arrival. But, I think it's blowing it a bit out of proportion here.

There was no intention to publicise or promote either of the political parties, there was just a genuine gesture that went slightly wrong. We shouldn't let it take away from the day itself, it's meaning and the success of the event.