A RIFT between West Somerset councillors and local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger widened this week when a doctored photograph from a high-profile Westminster meeting appeared on the MP's blog with West Somerset Council leader and fellow Conservative Tim Taylor erased.

It follows months of criticism of the council by the MP and growing tension between the two camps which, until now, have largely been kept out of the public eye.

But after Cllr Taylor was digitally removed from the photograph - something Mr Liddell-Grainger told the Free Press he knew nothing about until it was pointed out to him - the council leader said it was time West Somerset residents knew "the truth".

"Our councillors and officers deserve much greater support and encouragement from our MP then they have received to date," said Cllr Taylor.

"I now ask him to place in the media and before the public his views on West Somerset Council, its councillors and its leader, so that we can make full and fair public responses to the residents of West Somerset, who have a right to know the truth."

Mr Liddell-Grainger, who told the BBC he had been "narked" by Cllr Taylor, maintained he did not know about the doctored image beforehand and apologised for it appearing on his website.

"It was my researcher Ed who did it and I rang him immediately I knew what he'd done and told him to put it right," he told the Free Press.

"I'm sorry, but it was just one of those things."

Asked about rumours of tensions between himself and the district council, Mr Liddell-Grainger said: "I'm not a great supporter of my own Government at times - in fact I've had more rows with the Prime Minister than I've had with Tim Taylor."

The two sides have crossed swords over a number of issues, including Council Tax increases and Hinkley Point C community cash.

In recent months, Mr Liddell-Grainger has issued press releases criticising the district council on a number of issues, some of which have been outside the authority's control.

A source told the Free Press this week that Cllr Taylor had tried to get Mr Liddell-Grainger de-selected as the Conservative candidate for next year's General Election as he felt the MP was working against West Somerset.

"It's no secret that a number of Conservative councillors have tried to raise issues within Conservative circles to try and get more support from the MP for West Somerset and its residents," said the source

"Cllr Taylor did try and get the MP de-selected because he believed he was a negative rather than a positive force for West Somerset."

Mr Liddell-Grainger said he had been extremely busy working for the district on issues such as Hinkley Point C and the formation of the Somerset Rivers Authority to combat flooding issues across the constituency.

Last week, he issued a press statement accusing the district council of "shirking" its responsibility for coastal erosion at Blue Anchor.

The district council this week called on Mr Liddell-Grainger to do more to help the authority find funding for the scheme (see full story on page 3).

Another press release from the MP omitted any mention of West Somerset Council in a statement about the Somerset Rivers Authority.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said West Somerset Council had been left out as he had been praising the councils which had carried out the main negotiations, namely Sedgemoor and South Somerset.

But West Somerset is financially supporting the rivers authority and will have a seat on the board.

Cllr Taylor was among a delegation of district council leaders who travelled to Westminster on Monday to sign a mandate for the new rivers authority (see report on Page 9).

An official photo was released of the council leaders with Environment Secretary Liz Truss, council officers and Mr Liddell-Grainger.

But when it appeared on the MP's website, Cllr Taylor had be removed from the image. He was later being reinstated.

The move did not go unnoticed by the Somerset Labour Party, which dubbed it "The Case of the Disappearing Tory".

A statement accompanying the "before" and "after" images on the Labour website said: "Rumours of a bitter feud in the Bridgwater and West Somerset Conservative Party have been confirmed in farcical fashion.

"The Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has airbrushed a Tory council leader out of an official photo.

"Many members of Bridgwater and West Somerset Conservative Party are unhappy with their MP.

"Somerset Labour understands that Taylor was instrumental in a failed attempt to replace Liddell-Grainger as Tory candidate for 2015."

Cllr Taylor said he did not want to be drawn into a public slanging match but he could not support any tactics which tried to falsify a true record of an event.

"As leader of West Somerset Council, I have done my best for not only West Somerset Council but also for the residents of West Somerset, whom I represent," he said.

"We have some excellent councillors who give time and effort for the benefit of West Somerset and who make decisions which they believe are right, no matter how difficult these may sometimes be at a time of huge funding reductions.

"Our West Somerset Conservative Group has tried to work closely within the wider Conservative network and we have tried to resolve issues within that network."

He urged Mr Liddell-Grainger to contact the council before issuing critical press releases about the Conservative-led authority in the future:

"I would ask our MP that he contacts the council so he can understand clearly why we make the decisions of which he seemingly disapproves in press releases and media interviews."