A £1million project to allow people to "talk to their council on the telly" is to be launched across East Lancashire.

The scheme aims to make it easier to contact Lancashire County Council through internet technology.

The Telly Talk webcams system, which has been piloted in Accrington Library, will be used in centres across East Lancashire.

The system allows people to speak to customer service staff face-to-face over the internet.

Council bosses said the Accrington project, which has been running since January, has been a huge success.

It will now be rolled out to other libraries with Burnley due to be one of the first.

County council deputy leader Doreen Pollitt said: "When our staff went out to talk to people, it became clear that while certain services work very well electronically, some people preferred to speak directly to someone.

"Telly Talk has proved enormously popular and is allowing us to provide services in a very modern way. People have said that it's not always easy for them to visit a specific office. By offering a number of ways to contact us, it should make it easier for people to get support and assistance."

Hundreds of people have used the system in Accrington Library, which is equipped with a webcam, speakers and microphones. Applications for blue disabled parking badges have been popular because the tech-nology means a photograph can be taken and processed quickly online as part of the process.

Users can speak to customer services and can make appointments for other council departments.

County Coun Wendy Dwyer, said: "Feedback has been really positive."

As well as Telly Talk the council is investing in improved internet pages, better telephone access, an increased use of mobile venues and as part of a £1million plan modernise how it deals with the public.

The county council's Face to Face Access Strategy will be developed initially for Burnley, Chorley and South Ribble.

Other districts will follow, based on experience and knowledge gained from the first three.