LABOUR minister Ruth Kelly fell foul of her own party members when she visited Swindon.

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government headed to the Punjabi Community Centre, in Kembrey Street, to drum up support ahead of Thursday's local elections.

But she came under fire from Labour candidates.

Ms Kelly told 21 members of the town's Sikh community that Labour was working to solve Swindon's affordable housing shortage.

But the Labour councillor for the neighbouring Penhill ward, David Glaholm, questioned her statement.

He said: "I asked her about solving the housing problem.

"We have got a housing crisis in Swindon and something needs doing about it.

"She may have said affordable homes costing £60,000 were coming to Swindon, but I think that's rubbish. Where are they? I can't see any.

"If the Conservatives came forward with a solution to the housing crisis then they would be in a much stronger position, but for some reason they don't."

Ms Kelly was keen to tell councillors and Sikh community leaders at the private meeting about all the hard work being done to improve low-cost housing.

She said: "The Sikh community make a very valuable contribution to Swindon's community. I asked to hear from them about the challenges Swindon faces.

"They were particularly concerned about there being enough affordable homes.

"We have a Government initiative to build more homes and £60,000 homes for first-time buyers will be available in Swindon."

Ms Kelly said she was also keen to reassure voters in the face of BNP opposition.

"People were concerned about the challenge from the BNP in the ward," she said.

"But we will rebut all their attempts and people need to be assured that if they support Labour they will have nothing to fear."

Ms Kelly did not join Swindon's Labour election candidates on their door-knocking trip after the meeting, because she arrived late and was due in Gloucester to encourage voters there to vote Labour.