CHARITY bosses have lodged a formal complaint against Lancashire County Council over what they claim is a "flagrant and repeated" breach of a funding agreement.

The Lancashire Council for Voluntary Youth Services claims County Hall has slashed funding for scouts and other young people's groups and has lodged a formal complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman.

Ian Ferguson, the group's secretary, said they believed the council was using money taken from county-wide groups to redistribute locally.

He said: "County coun-cillors have gone to some lengths to publicise their handing out of small sums.

"This money is not new. It has been cut from county-wide organisations, many of which depended on it to employ key staff."

He said a "gentlemen's agreement" between the council and charities, said any changes to funding had to be publicised and cons-ulted on in advance.

But in July a group of youth organisations, inclu-ding girl guides, boys' brigade, faith groups, scouts, YMCA and Lancashire Young Farmers were told without warning that their funding was to be cut by 51 per cent.

He said: "It drove a coach and horses through that agreement.

"There was no advance warning whatsoever.

"If money is taken away from county-wide offices it affects their ability to raise funds. This will have a very serious effect on these groups."

Lancashire Young Farmers works with young people in rural areas to stop them becoming isolated from society.

Elyse Chatterton, develop-ment officer for Lancashire Young Farmers, said the group would have to raise the annual fees from £10 to £40 because of the funding cuts in order to carry on its work.

The Local Government Ombudsman investigates complaints of maladminis-tration against local author-ities in England and Wales.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "As Lancashire Council for Voluntary Youth Services has asked for the case to be referred to the ombudsman we are unable to comment on this specific complaint."