BOWLING greens in Burnley and Padiham will not be axed following a town hall review, says the borough council's leader.

Coun Gordon Birtwistle has denied there were ever any specific proposals put forward to rip up local greens, principally those at Towneley Park.

Burnley Bowls Partnership voiced strong opposition after the prospect of cuts was suggested earlier this year.

But Coun Birtwistle said that a green spaces review, conducted by council officers, had shown there was no need for any bowling greens to be lost.

He said: "What it has shown though is that the subsidy we pay out for bowling in the borough is staggering.

"We have been in talks with the bowls partnership in an effort to persuade them to acquire more members, so the system is more cost-effective."

Council bosses have to find around £660,000 in cuts to the authority's budgets in order to balance the books.

Labour councillors had proposed a motion, at the last full council meeting, urging the ruling coalition to safeguard existing bowls provisions.