BLACKBURN with Darwen Council is to wind up five inactive ‘charitable trusts’.

Borough finance boss Andy Kay tonight will recommend its ruling executive board to start the process.

The first to be closed will be the Harriet Holt Trust was established for the benefit of blind people in Darwen.

The council will apply to the Charities Commission for permission to wind up the the body and distribute the £7,717.55 left in its account to the Blackburn and District Blind Society.

The other four charities to be closed are the Common Goods Trust, the Garstang Lecture Fund, the Henrietta Kenyon Bequest, and the Poors Land Charity.

The five between them had a total of £81,851 in their accounts.

Cllr Kay tells his colleagues: “No monies have been injected into or spent from these accounts for 15 years.

“Given this lack of activity it is appropriate for the council to consider options for utilising the dormant funds for good causes in the Borough.”

He adds: “Given the differing nature of each of the dormant accounts it is intended that separate reports will be presented for each charity.”