A SCATHING attack has been launched by the owners of Elvington Airfield on Selby MP John Grogan, branding him a "hollow politician" and accusing him of performing an electoral stunt.

Their comments came after the MP had accused them of being "something of a shadowy organisation with whom it is very difficult to have a straight conversation," and very poor neighbours to local villages.

The extraordinary war-of-words has blown up in the wake of controversial plans by Elvington Park Ltd to build new hangars on the airfield.

Mr Grogan, pictured, said recently he had asked the company to meet local parish councils and "come clean" on its plans.

He said in the absence of such meaningful dialogue and a comprehensive application, he would be opposing the move, adding: "If Elvington Park are to be taken seriously about their plans for Elvington Airfield, they need to start acting like a responsible business planning for the long-term."

But now company spokesman Ian Wormald has claimed the MP's "uninformed assertions and negative comments" were out of date.

He said: "He seems not to know that Elvington Park responded to the advice from City of York Council for a Master Plan in advance of reapplying for a hangar and ops building.

"The Master Plan was sent to the city council last year, but Mr Grogan does not seem to have his eye on the ball by reading it.

"If he had read it, he would have seen the whole issue is explained.

"Contrary to his assertion that we are secretive, I and others have previously fully informed him of our intentions for Evington airfield.

"He is a hollow politician not worthy of electoral support, in that it is of essence that politicians are totally transparent as to their views, without which it is not possible for the electorate to vote meaningfully."

Updated: 10:00 Saturday, March 19, 2005