POLICE could know by the New Year whether they will be handed enough cash to replace Hyndburn's threatened council neighbourhood wardens with their own staff.

The borough's 12 wardens are likely to face the axe in two years after a source of Government funding runs out.

Residents' groups in Hyndburn have hit out at the move, which will see half of the wardens go in 2005, and half in 2006.

But one hope is that, if another source of funds cannot be found to keep the wardens, police cash could become available to bring in extra Police Community Support Officers, who do a similar job.

Officers should find out if the funding is available in the next few months.

Inspector Julian Platt, Accrington's top police officer, said: "It's all about tapping into streams of funding. While I respect that one stream of funding is being run down, it links in rather well with what they are doing to secure extra Police Community Support Officers.

"One of the things the public have said about wardens is that they only cover the four wards. This provides an opportunity for delivery of services across Hyndburn, not just in the four wards."

Neighbourhood wardens are employed by the council, and make regular patrols of trouble-spots, reporting rubbish and abandoned cars, and handing out on-the-spot fines.

But campaigners hoping to find a source of funding to keep the wardens say that PCSOs are unable to do the same job, and can be pulled from one area to another by police.