THE jobs of two Hyndburn community wardens threatened with redundancy this year have been saved for another 12 months.

Hyndburn Council today announced it had been successful in gaining extra funding for the reprieve -- but said it still faced an uphill battle to secure the future of the 12 posts set to be axed.

In total there will now be eight wardens patrolling the streets in four of the borough's most deprived wards this year -- Central, Barnfield, Springhill, and Church.

Council leader, Coun Peter Britcliffe, said the partial reprieve had been made possible thanks to contributions from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the council's own Area Councils budget, and social landlords Eaves Brook and St Vincent's Housing Association.

But he blamed the Government for only providing short-term funding for the scheme, which was launched in 2001 and has helped to tackle anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and vandalism.

He said: "Funding restraints and changing Government policies have tied our hands.

"I'm really pleased that two extra wardens will be retained, and other initiatives including the introduction of four new Police Community Support Officers and two Accent caretakers in the Woodnook area will actually strengthen the attack on crime and grime across the borough."

Coun Britcliffe added that work was now being done to find funding for 2006, when Government money, halved this year, runs out.

He said: "Officers are examining the future funding options and these will be presented to cabinet by the summer.

We still face a difficult period, but we are cautiously hopeful that a package of funding can be found."

Deputy leader of the opposition Labour group, Coun David Myles, said: "Saving any job is good news, but this should have been sorted out months ago. They may save two of the six this year, but Government funding runs out next year and we should be planning early for the future."

Members of the borough's Community Safety Partnership, including the police and the fire service, refused to help the council find funding to keep all 12. So, with one of the 12 posts already vacant, five wardens were told they would be out of a job by Easter.