EPPING Forest Council leader Michael Heavens has been accused of being a snob over his reaction to the BNP's three district council election successes in Loughton.

A pensioner, who wishes to remain anonymous, voted for the BNP's successful Loughton Fairmead candidate Pat Richardson in protest against Labour.

But she said comments made by Mr Heavens in a BBC interview had left her incensed.

She said: "It was purely a protest vote against the Government because this country is going to rack and ruin and nobody seems to want to do anything about it.

"But I'm more incensed by Michael Heavens saying the people who voted for the BNP in Loughton are elderly or impoverished and that's why they did it.

I may be elderly but I'm certainly not impoverished and I never voted for them for those reasons anyway.

"Lots of my friends also voted for the BNP because they wanted to make a protest so who is Michael Heavens to say what or who we are? He's a Buckhurst Hill councillor, so what does he know? This is just snobbery of the highest order."

Mr Heavens said his views had been misinterpreted.

He said: "I'm sorry I may have given that impression and that I've caused offence to this resident. To put the BBC News item in perspective, the clip or soundbite chosen was five or ten seconds of a ten-minute interview.

"There are many possible causes of disaffection and many reasons for protest votes. The important question still to be answered is why people chose BNP for a protest vote in preference to other parties."

Mr Heavens has since offered to meet the pensioner and discuss her issues in person.