IT'S OFFICIAL! From April 1 next year St Annes will be able to hold elections for its own parish council.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has signed an order for the creation of St Annes on the Sea parish, say delighted members of the parish council steering group.

They received the news in an e-mail from Whitehall on Friday and they hope elections can go ahead next May 5.

"All our members are ecstatic that the hard work of the past two years has finally paid off," said group spokeswoman, Barbara Mackenzie.

She said the group has also just received a lottery grant of £3,884, which will go towards seminars and workshops to train would-be councillors, pay for speakers at meetings, and keep the townspeople informed through leaflets, mailshots and public meetings.

She added: "This has been a good week for the group, and ultimately for St Annes - first the lottery award and now confirmation of the creation of the parish.

"It means we can go ahead with our plans for the year without having to worry about finances and with the enthusiasm and confidence to try to attract new members to the group and to encourage them to stand for election next year."