A SHOWDOWN meeting has been called between council and community leaders in a bid to save Hyndburn's neighbourhood wardens.

The "last ditch" effort to find the funding to salvage the scheme has been launched will come to a head with some tough talking on Thursday. The meeting has been called by council leader Peter Britcliffe after it was announced the Government funding would end in 2006.

Members of Hyndburn Community Partnership -- made up of community representatives from bodies including the police and fire service -- will be asked for a cash to help keep keep the service.

And Hyndburn council bosses are expected to tell the meeting that it is not just the authority's responsibility to raise funds.

Coun Britcliffe is set to challenge the groups to either pay their share, or come up with fund-raising ideas.

He said: "The council recognises the success there has been with the neighbourhood wardens. We understand that when it first came along it was accepted by a range of partners, including the police and Lancashire County Council.

"What we are saying is that while we will continue to fund our share of it we feel we need others to be forthcoming.

"Hopefully on Thursday morning we will make some head way towards funding, but if the partners are not prepared to come up with their share of the funding they need to tell us why not."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope has also been invited so the council can challenge him to make representations to the Government, which is due to stop the funding required each year to keep wardens on the streets.

Currently the borough has 12 wardens working in four boroughs, Central, Barnfield, Springhill and Church.

The cost of keeping the wardens, who were put in place about seven years ago, is about £300,000 per year.

In the past the wardens have been praised by residents, councillors and the police force for the work they do, which includes patrolling areas spotting litter, abandoned cars and handing out on-the-spot fines.

Davina Helm, manager of the Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership, confirmed members had been invited to a meeting, but said she could not comment further.

Sergeant Mark Porter of Accrington Police was unaware of an invitation being made to the local police.

Coun Doug Hayes, chair of the council's scrutiny committee for community safety and community wellbeing -- which acts as a watchdog for safety issues within the borough, is backing Coun Britcliffe.

He said: "The funding for the wardens is not just the council's responsibility. We are all part of the community partnership, with the aim of reducing crime in Hyndburn, and as such the council is prepared to find our proportion of the monies we need, and we are looking to our partners to fund their own elements."