THE ROW over the cancellation of the Prestwick Prom escalated last week as a local councillor hit out at Yes Scotland campaigners.

Conservative Councillor Hugh Hunter branded Yes Scotland campaigners as "pathetic" before ripping into them for leafleting at the last Prestwick Prom event.

The Prestwick councillor said that he sympathised with the organisers over the cancellation after confrontational scenes during the summer event.

Councillor Hunter's comments come after stinging criticism from Prestwick's SNP Councillor Ian Cochrane and Yes Scotland Ambassador Tracy Wallace last week in the aftermath of the Prestwick North Community Council meeting when the decision was made.

Speaking after the Prestwick Prom Committee's decision, Councillor Hunter, who wasn't present at the Community Council meeting, explained why the event was cancelled.

He said: "My understanding is that it was cancelled because the SNP wouldn't agree to make it a campaign free event. The organisers want the event to be a non-political family community day.

"In June when at the Prom celebrations the SNP turned up and started dishing out leaflets and they were ordered to stop. The situation became heated and the police got involved.

"The organisers didn't want to place themselves in that position and took the decision not to organise the event until after next year's referendum." Councillor Hunter also admitted that businesses and locals have been left disappointed but blamed the SNP, adding: "I suspect that there will be disappointment and it's the last thing we wanted to happen but I can well understand the feelings of the organisers. The event can't be hijacked by others.

"Particularly for businesses down at the sea front it's a big earner for them but I don't see why community minded people should have to deal with confrontation on the sea front.

"All the SNP needed to do was agree to forget about leafleting at the event. Why wouldn't they do that? It's really pathetic that some narrow-minded people have spoiled this for everyone else." Councillor Ian Cochrane spoke of his disgust at the cancellation and claimed that a political agenda was behind the decision.

He said: "I am aghast at the decision by Prestwick Prom committee to cancel the Prom for this year only, the referendum year, and agree to restart it next year. It beggars belief that these narrow minded individuals should put their own political agenda before the economic and social benefits for the community of Prestwick.

"This is a crude attempt to deny YesScotland a platform to engage with the voting public and is a tacit admission their own BitterTogether campaign has failed to gain any demonstrable public support.

"This is an outrage and they're taking this away because of their own political agendas." The SNP councillor claimed that locals and businesses had lost faith in the Prestwick Prom Committee and the Conservative councillors.

He added: "I think the locals have lost faith in the five people that are running the show. They've been key figures in this community for a number of years. This has been a completely Tory dominated event and I'd be surprised if they can dig their way out of this.

"The decision has a direct impact on local businesses. It's total and utter madness. This is worth thousands of pounds to Prestwick.

"People will go somewhere else for the day and they won't come back to Prestwick." Yes Scotland Ambassador, Tracy Wallace echoed Councillor Cochrane's view, adding: "It is an absolute disgrace that these individuals place their own political interest and views over the good of the community of Prestwick.

"As we all know this is a great family day out which brings a vast amount of visitors to the Town which boosts income to local traders and the economy of the town.

"If this is an example of decision making by two senior Tory Councillors in this administration, I am most concerned about their competence to manage South Ayrshire Council Services."