Winchester Liberal Democrats have come under fire, being accused of placing four sites in the firing line for development.

Four sites - Pitt Manor in Winchester, Spring Gardens in Alresford, land between Francis Gardens and Worthy Road in Winchester and Little Frenchies Field in Denmead - have been identified by a government inspector as suitable for development.

Opposition councillors say the Lib Dems have allowed the sites to be targeted with no consultation with locals.

The sites were pinpointed as reserve sites in case schemes for other developments do not materialise.

At the full council, opposition councillors called for the sites to be ruled out, with Labour leader Patrick Davies, pictured, accusing the Lib Dems of not sticking up for residents.

Conservative leader George Beckett attacked the Lib Dems for allowing the council to be "tummy tickled" by the inspector, adding: "We are going to make a case for the people of Winchester."

Fellow Tory Barry Lipscomb also argued that it was wrong to identify the sites as residents had not been consulted.

However, council leader Sheila Campbell, pictured, said they had to earmark them as reserve sites in order to protect them.

She said: "We think 'Local Reserve Site' status gives the four sites protection from immediate development and gives control to the council over if or when they are released for development.

"Whatever Patrick Davies's motives are, the Conservatives see this as an opportunity to cause as much party political mayhem and disruption to the planning service as possible. If we lose, the whole public inquiry could be reopened into housing sites around the whole district."

Her colleague, Brian Collin, said that if they did not, then developers would apply to build any way, and use the inspector's recommendations to swing the argument.

In the end the vote to include the sites was carried, but only with the help of the Independent councillors on the council.

Independent Georgina Busher sided with the Lib Dems, saying: "I'm afraid the cat is out of the bag, and the damage has been done."