LANCASHIRE'S county council leaders have been accused of being 'power hungry dinosaurs' after they pledged to continue fighting plans for a regional assembly.

The row between the 'yes' camp -- spearheaded by personalities such as TV presenter Tony Wilson -- and opponents of regional government reignited when Mr Wilson launched a fresh attack on Lancashire County Council's firm 'no' stance on the issue.

Their clash comes as a new survey suggests people in Lancashire are slowly coming around to the idea of a regional assembly.

Lancashire, along with the rest of the North West, should have gone to the polls next month to decide whether people wanted a directly elected regional assembly, which would have triggered a streamlining of local government in the county as well.

But the vote was scrapped in the summer amid concerns of fraud in all-postal voting in the region -- although suggestions have been made that it was because the Government was worried people would vote no.

Mr Wilson, who visited Blackburn last week to host a question time with young people quizzing councillors, said: "Lancashire County Council's stance smacks of a group of people, precious of their power, and determined to hang on to it at all costs. It is a dinosaur approach from people who are just hungry for power."

County council leader Hazel Harding said: "We will continue to oppose a regional assembly because it will see power going up, not coming down. People are still telling us our stance is right."

That claim is being disputed by pollsters Vision 21, run by Darwen man Simon Danczuk. Their latest survey of voters has revealed 29.5per cent would vote in favour of a regional assembly, compared with 18.8per cent when asked in June.

Around 19.5per cent would vote no, compared with 34.3per cent in June. But 45per cent still remain uncertain.

More than 90per cent of people felt they should have been able to vote in November, rather than be made to wait.

The Government has pledged that the North West will get to vote soon. Voters in the North East will still get a chance to vote next month.