THE city's top police officer has been drawn into York's fireworks "farce" after a leading councillor said the officer had insisted on the site being secure - forcing the authority to let off the display from a secret location.

Coun Keith Orrell, City of York Council's leisure chief, told a full authority meeting that police commander Tim Madgwick wanted the site of the November 5 display to be "secure", and that "to keep it secure it had to be secret".

Supt Madgwick's role was revealed as Labour councillors peppered Coun Orrell with questions about the display, which left thousands of people disappointed.

Coun Orrell again apologised to the "significant minority" of people who had been unable to see the display and said "this disappointment must have been all the greater when they heard that the display had been so much appreciated by those people who saw it".

The Evening Press reported how tens of thousands of visitors flocked to York Minster and Clifford's Tower, hoping to see a spectacular display, but did not see the aerial show.

Coun David Horton asked Coun Orrell who had made the demand for the location where the fireworks were lit to be kept secret.

Coun Orrell said: "There was no demand.

"We had meetings with the police and other agencies over the period before it. One of the chief concerns of the police was security of the site."

Later, after Coun Ruth Potter accused him of attempting to blame Supt Madgwick, he said: "I am not blaming anyone.

"I am saying that Supt Madgwick wanted the site to be secure and to keep it secure it had to be secret."

He added that had there been large numbers of people near the firing site, which was located behind St Peter's School, it would not have been safe to hold the display.

Labour leader Dave Merrett asked Coun Orrell about the safety of the event, saying he was concerned for the welfare of spectators on the city's bridges had there been an accident.

But Coun Orrell said: "There was stewarding and first aid people. What you are saying is that we should not do anything in the city centre."

PC Paul Maloney, York police's events officer, said: "It is true to say Supt Madgwick wanted the site to be secure.

"We wanted to make sure there was an appropriate management system in place to work with people who would turn up at the site. There certainly wasn't a request from the police to keep the site secret."

Updated: 09:17 Thursday, November 17, 2005