TRUSTEES from a heavily-criticised charity will be invited to another meeting with a watchdog committee.

Hyndburn Council’s Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Panel hopes to meet representatives from the Chaigley Manor Trust to ascertain what type of work the charity is doing in the borough.

A previous meeting was held last month as some councillors felt the trust has not been transparent enough in its activities.

During the meeting a presentation was given by trustee Stephen Cook. But he refused to answer questions afterwards, angering many councillors.

At a recent meeting of the council’s Cabinet council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "I think one of the problems here is the prevailing attitude of the trust which is what does it have to do with you. It was Hyndburn people who contributed to Chaigley and I know the council invested heavily in the 1980s.

"As a scrutiny committee you are charged to look at this organisation and others like it because of their involvement in the borough. I have asked Overview and Scrutiny to write to Chaigley and say we want them back for a meeting."

Councillor Brian Walmsley said: "They said they would answer questions brought to them after the meeting. We wrote to them and have heard nothing back. They said there would be a website which would be up and running by the end of March and to my knowledge there is nothing. They are just making things worse for themselves. I propose we hold another meeting with trustees and the Scrutiny Panel to get some answers."