TWO district council leaders have warned the County Hall cash crisis at County Hall will hit their boroughs' most deprived hardest.

Burnley's Cllr Mark Townsend said inevitable cuts to children’s socials services, adult care, road maintenance and education would affect those least able to cope.

He is backed by Hyndburn boss Cllr Miles Parkinson,

The Labour politician spoke out after auditors said Lancashire County Council’s finances were at a ‘tipping point’ and a survey placed the authority, which provides key services to 12 borough’s including Burnley and Hyndburn, among 20 councils facing the deepest cuts.

Cllr Townsend said: “Lancashire County Council's services are at the point of a complete breakdown.

“When the money runs out it will be the most deprived areas in East Lancashire that get hit the most.

“Fiddling round the edges is not going to do it. We need a complete overhaul of how Lancashire is run.”

The county council’s Burnley-born leader Cllr Geoff Driver, while admitting to major challenges including paying for adult social care, said he had a strategy to persuade the government to provide extra cash.

Cllr Parkinson said: “The county provides vital servies which are important to the people of Hyndburn. If the crisis gets worse many deprived residents will suffer."

Cllr Driver said: “We set a lawful budget for 2018/19. We’re well on the way to resolving the deficit crisis.”

County Labour group leader Cllr Azhar Ali, who represents Nelson East said: “Cllr Townsend is spot on. Cllr Driver is like and ostrich with his head in the sand. He has not resolved the authority’s financial crisis and has no plan which get extra money from the government.”