The British National Party (BNP) councillor whose cash grant to a community choir was snubbed by its members has spoken of her “amazement” at the decision.

As reported by the Watford Observer on Friday, members of the South Oxhey Community Choir rejected a £1,000 community grant from county councillor Deirdre Gates, fearing the group’s name would be used in BNP political literature.

Committee member Russ Clancy added that the grant could damage the choir’s multicultural image in the community.

Councillor Gates, however, this morning accused certain members of the choir of playing politics with her community-spirited gesture.

She said: “There’s a dirty great stink of politics about this which really does a disservice to the choir. All I wanted was to help them to keep singing.

“It was the choir that actually submitted an application to me in the first place. They knew who I was at the time so I don’t understand why there is a problem now.

“But all is not lost. This money has now been freed up for another community cause in South Oxhey.”

Councillor Gates, like all other 76 Hertfordshire county councillors, was given a a £10,000 taxpayer-funded grant to distribute in their communities.