BURNLEY council's leader has warned the cash crisis at County Hall will hit the borough's most deprived areas hardest.

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

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 Pendle, among 20 councils facing the deepest cuts.

Cllr Townsend said: "The alarm bells are ringing even louder at County Hall.

"Local 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 Townsend said: "Cllr Driver is in denial.

"Many people in Burnley rely on children's and adult care services and will suffer if they are cut to the legal bone..

"Our roads are deplorable and our schools are not up to standard.

"The county council is not working for the people of Burnley and we need to look at other options including all-purpose unitary authorities."

Cllr Driver blamed the previous Labour administration for the crisis.

He said: “Budgeting isn’t about money. Budgeting is about determining that your priorities are.

“It isn’t as simple as just going to the government and asking for more money.

"If any local authority goes to the government and asks for more money, they’ll be listened too politely and then be catching the train home.

“You put together what you plans are and your strategy to implement it. Hopefully that will result in Lancashire getting more cash. You can’t simply go with a begging bowl as Labour did.

"We set a lawful budget for 2018/19 which Labour said they couldn’t do, 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."