COUNCILLORS are set to axe seven museum jobs at a special budget meeting next Monday (March 4).

The job losses at Blackburn Museum will be part of £250,000 proposed cutbacks from the borough council's community and leisure services budget.

Around £70,000 will be taken off the museum's budget, forcing the job losses which will include the chief curator.

"These cuts have been forced on us," confessed Kathy Ramsden, deputy chairman of the leisure services committee.

"Our hands have been tied by central government to avoid capping.

"We felt the museum cuts would affect the least amount of people. Only 500 people use it each week compared to the 6,000 who use our community centres."

The intended cuts will reduce museum staff from 18 to 11 and there are fears that opening hours will be affected.

The Friends of Blackburn Museum have called emergency meetings.

"These are swingeing cuts," said chairman Joy Heffernan.

"It's practically an eighth of the leisure budget and unfair. The councillors don't seem to care.

"We've raised thousands of pounds for the museum during the last 10 years and it hurts us that they're making such drastic changes."

Lib-Dems say the cuts could have been made elsewhere.

"We think councillors and not the museum should have to bite the bullet," said Councillor Dave Foster.

"A quarter of the cuts could be saved just by reducing councillors' expenses, meal budgets and hospitality funds."

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