THE final community wardens in Hyndburn will disappear from the borough's streets at the end of this month.

The warden scheme was set up in 2001, in the most deprived wards Central, Spring Hill, Church and Barnfield using Government funding. But in 2004 Hyndburn Council revealed that once that funding ran out, in 2006, it could not afford to keep the scheme going.

The council agreed to put up £150,000 and appealed to members of Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership, including the police and fire service, to come up with the rest.

However, the money was not forthcoming and last year, with the Government money cut by half to £160,000, three wardens were made redundant.

Five had been due to go, but two were saved at the eleventh hour using funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the council's own Area Council budget, and social landlords Eaves Brook and St Vincent's Housing Association.

This year the funding has dried up. All eight of the remaining posts will go at the end of March, but only three are currently filled.

At a meeting of Spring Hill and Central Area Council the work they had done to tackle problems including anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and vandalism was praised.

Hilary Blakemore, from Bullough Park Residents' Association, said: "The wardens were the best thing that happened to Bullough Park the one thing that worked best. They sorted out a lot of the problems.

"The council is talking about spending money on other things at the park, but losing the wardens will allow the yobs to run riot."

Central Ward councillor and chairman of the area council, Allah Dad, added: "I would like to thank the wardens for the excellent service they have provided. We are all sad to see them go."

Council leader Peter Britcliffe blamed the Government for only providing short-term funding for the scheme.

But opposition Labour councillors argued that more could have been done to save the wardens.

At last year's budget meeting they said money could be saved to fund the warden scheme if councillors organised and ran their own area council meetings.