WARRINGTON North Labour Party has called on a Tory council candidate to resign as chairman of a community group campaigning to stop the HS2 Golborne link.

Culcheth And District Rail Action Group (CADRAG) chairman Frank Allen will be standing in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft at the May 5 all-out election.

He confirmed he intends to continue battling against the controversial link and said he will press for it to be abandoned if elected onto the council.

But Warrington North Labour chiefs labelled his role as 'entirely incompatible' with the Conservative manifesto.

A spokesman said: "Frank Allen cannot have his cake and eat it. CADRAG is a non-political, resident-led action group, which is working diligently to defend our villages from the threat of the Government's HS2 'spur' which, if passed by Conservative ministers, would devastate Culcheth and Croft.

"Not only is Frank Allen using his role within the group as a platform for his borough council bid, he has an enormous conflict of interest which he needs to acknowledge as a matter of urgency.

"Mr Allen has nailed his political colours to the mast and is standing as a Conservative Party candidate.

"It is Conservative ministers who will make the final decision on HS2, and a Conservative Government which is pushing forward the unwanted 'spur' that has blighted homes and lives throughout our community.

"Mr Allen cannot say in one breath that he is opposing the Tory's HS2 proposals and then in the next announce he is standing as a Tory candidate.

"Residents cannot trust him to defy his own party's manifesto pledges in the council chamber, or stand up to his Westminster bosses when it comes to the crunch.

"He has to make a choice – it's Culcheth or the Conservative Party but it can't be both.

"If he's going to continue with his grab for power at the Town Hall then he must resign with immediate effect as chairman of CADRAG, a post which is entirely incompatible with fighting an election on a Conservative manifesto."