HYNDBURN’S Labour group claims the borough has been left with a ‘black hole’ of £6million by the outgoing Conservative group.

Plans rubber-stamped by the previous administration have ‘left nothing’ in the coffers, according to the borough’s Labour MP Graham Jones.

However the Tories’ hit back at the accusations, describing the claims as ‘misinformation and exaggeration’.

Labour re-seized control of the borough in the elections earlier this month.

Mr Jones said that if Labour councillors were to keep all Tory promises made prior to the election, they would be forced to increase council tax by 120 per cent to pay for them.

He said the situation was ‘extremely serious’ and warned residents to prepare for bracing cuts.

Mr Jones claimed Tories made £5.2million in promises to community groups invited to apply for Big Society grants, despite the council only having £2.2million from the Government.

He added that the previous council had planned to raise council tax by five per cent, but to keep Labour’s election promise of a tax freeze would cost another £295,000.

Mr Jones said a further £291,000 had been taken from reserves.

He claimed £105,000 in other Government grants expected to last the year had already been spent in just one month.

“The Tories might just as well have left a note saying ‘Ha ha, we have already spent everything’,” said Mr Jones.

However, Coun Marlene Howarth, the Conservative portfolio holder for finance, said: “When the Conservatives took control in 2003, we inherited council debts of almost £43 million from the outgoing Labour council.

“By may this year this debt was reduced to around £10 million.

"At no point throughout our time in control did we borrow further money to finance the numerous, significant projects that we have undertaken to improve the borough.

“Our spending plans, announced before the election, committed £2.2 million of the funds available from central Government, not £5.2 million, as erroneously claimed by the Labour MP for Hyndburn.

“I am very disappointed that the Labour MP for Hyndburn has stooped so low as to impugn Hyndburn's Conservative councillors in such an unfounded manner.”