RIBBLE Valley leaders today breathed a huge sigh of relief after escaping what they saw as a Blackburn takeover.

Under options for local government re-organisation revealed today, 10 parishes of the Ribble Valley can not now become part of an expanded Blackburn unitary authority.

But Blackburn with Darwen could still take control of Hyndburn, prompting fears that Hyndburn could become the poor relation.

And in a new twist to the saga, it emerged today that this authority would be called Blackburn with Hyndburn Council, a move sure to offend the people of Darwen.

The Government's Boundary Committee options will come into play if the people say "yes" to a north west regional assembly in an autumn referendum.

Campaigners are now urging people to vote no to preserve existing councils.

But it has kicked out proposals by Blackburn with Darwen Council to take the Ribble Valley parishes - including Mellor, Langho and Wilpshire - as well as Hyndburn under its wing.

The first option is for Blackburn to join with Hyndburn leaving the Ribble Valley to become part of a new unitary authority with Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

The second proposal would involve Lancashire being run by a single, Lancashire-wide unitary authority alongside the current unitary authorities in Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool.

Proposals presented in December initially placed a third option, for an East Lancashire-wide unitary, on the table, but this idea has since been dropped. Voters will now be asked to choose their favoured option, which could signal the biggest shake-up in local government since 1974.

Ribble Valley residents launched the Back Off Blackburn campaign, spearheaded by 25-year-old Emma Dickinson, after Blackburn with Darwen Council said it wanted to take the whole of Ribble Valley before revising its bid to just 10 parishes.

Today, Emma, of St Mary's Gardens, Mellor, said: "This just proves that if you make a noise, people do listen. The battle isn't over, we now have to make sure people vote no for a regional assembly, which means that the council structures are left as they are. We're proud of the Ribble Valley."

Coun Joyce Holgate, who represents Whalley, said: "I think people will prefer the idea of merging with Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale more than with Blackburn with Darwen, but I still think they'd prefer us to be left alone altogether."

Former Ribble Valley leader, Chris Holtom, who spearheaded a public awareness campaign, said: "Our first choice is to be left alone and I think the vote on the regional assembly will reflect that, I really do."

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader, Sir Bill Taylor, said: "People shouldn't forget the main prize is regional government. We made our representations and it is time to move on."

Conservative leader on the council, Coun Colin Rigby, added: "The two options serve only to strengthen the case for a no vote."

The idea of merging with Blackburn with Darwen was greeted with horror by Hyndburn Council leader, Coun Peter Britcliffe. He said: "It's set out as them taking over and we can't allow that to happen. We will fight this tooth and nail. People need to vote no in the referendum to preserve our heritage.

"People in Hyndburn don't want to be ruled from Blackburn. We'd be the poor relation. Look at Darwen."

Deputy Labour leader, Coun David Myles, added: "The East Lancashire unitary was preferable to this."

The proposal for putting Ribble Valley in with the Pennine authorities was today criticised by Pendle peer, Tony Greaves. He said: "The idea of Mellor being controlled by Burnley, and the same council providing services to Trawden and Longridge, isn't localising services."

Blackburn MP and Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said he favoured splitting East Lancashire in two rather than a countywide authority.

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans said: "It will be hugely costly, hugely bureaucratic and whichever option is chosen it will make local government far more remote from the people."