LANCASHIRE County Council are a "shower" and a "bunch of liars" according to one Burnley resident who took the chance to vent his spleen at a public meeting last night.

Life In Lancashire was billed by the authority as an opportunity for people to come and have their say about the issues that affect them in a 'Question Time' style debate.

But the audience that packed into the town's Sparrowhawk Hotel in Church Street told the County Council panel exactly what they thought.

The event was the fifth to be held in the county following similar debates in Preston, Lancaster, Chorley and at the Globe Centre in Accrington.

Adrian Britten is the consultation co-ordinator for Lancashire County Council. He said: "We want to bring the council out to the people to help show them that their thinking can help shape our thinking.

"We are trying to create an environment that people can recognise by basing the format on television debates that people will have seen."

Questions on voter apathy, disenfranchisement, lack of communication, accountability and party politics were thrown at a panel made up of the county council LCC Hazel Harding, County Coun Marcus Johnstone, cabinet member for resources Tony Martin, leader of the opposition Robert Hodge and Chris Trinick, executive director for change. But the biggest topic of discussion for the night was council tax and County Hall spending arrangements.

Grumbles about the levels of council tax were dealt with by Coun Martin.

He said: "If people want services providing you have got to go out and pay for them."

That was backed up by Coun Harding, who attributed rising council tax to increases in life expectancy.

She said: "People are living longer, but eventually their health runs out and they need care. Demands on our social services are growing."

Coun Harding also said it was a duty of the people who had a better quality of life to contribute towards improving the lot of those who haven't.

The compere for the evening was the BBC's north west social affairs correspondent, Dave Guest.

He promised a mix of Trisha, Kilroy and Jerry Springer, but in the end the fur failed to fly and apart from the harsh criticisms of one audience member, the proceedings remained civilised.