FOUR community centres have been threatened with closure after experts said they were not viable.

But residents have vowed to fight "tooth and nail" to keep the sites open and council bosses have vowed to try and avoid the closures.

The review, commissioned by Blackburn with Darwen Council, concluded that most of the borough's community centres are outdated and in poor condition, and all are running at a loss.

And it recommended the closure of centres at Ivy Street, Sudellside, Little Harwood and Shadsworth, which it said are under-used.

Council chiefs said they do not accept the conclusions and have vowed to try and improve the four centres first to see if more people use them.

There will then be a six-month consultation period when the findings of the £15,000 review will be debated.

But there are no guarantees that the centres will remain open.

Coun John Milburn, who represents the Ewood ward, said that the Ivy Street Community Centre is "essential" for the people who live there.

He said: "People here feel very passionatley about their community centre and any decision to close it will be vehemently opposed."

Coun Abdul Patel said: "The Little Harwood centre is very well used and would be a huge loss to the area. There is always a lot going on there and cannot be closed. I will not let it happen."

Coun Roy Davies is a member of the Sudellside Community Centre Association.

He said: "There is no way that the centre will be allowed to close. If the council withdraws its support we will make sure that we find external funding to keep it open because this area needs the community centre."

Council leader Coun Colin Rigby said: "It's difficult to make these decisions, and you've got to go through a consultation process. We will listen to staff, and they will be given the chance to come up with some options.

"It's really quite difficult with these buildings. People's expectations have changed of what they want from community centres."

Coun Rigby said schools, particularly those to be built under the Building Schools for the Future scheme, would increasingly be used as meeting places, removing the need for dedicated community centre buildings.

Coun Michael Lee, executive member for resources, added: "We need to make sure they are open when people want them to be open.

"If they are then not doing well, what can you do? I can't guarantee carte blanche that they will stay open."

Blackburn with Darwen council owns and runs 13 community centres, which is more than most local authorities.

Under the council's previous Labour administration, Bradford-based consultant Royds was given £15,000 of European Union funding to carry out the review.

As well as recommending the closure of the four community centres, it suggested Darwen Community Centre becomes a youth centre, with other groups that use the building being relocated to nearby venues.

It said any money generated from the closure and future sale of community centres should be set aside and ploughed back into community projects.

The 76-page report also recommends four of the borough's top centres, Barlow, Bangor Street, Greenfields and Roman Road, be set aside for funding bids, with a view to handing over the running of the buildings to community groups.