PRIME Minister Tony Blair has promised to look into problems caused when funding for crime-tackling neighbourhood wardens and community support officers runs out.

The issue was raised with him by Burnley MP Peter Pike.

Already Hyndburn Council has faced severe problems when a specific government grant for neighbourhood wardens ran out in 1998 and it then had to apply for a new government grant in 2000 to get nine of the support officers back.

And Mr Pike fears the same could happen when the current special funding for neighbourhood wardens in his constituency ends. It has already been extended once.

Mr Pike and Hyndburn MP Greg Pope welcomed Mr Blair's promise to look into the issue when he appeared before the House of Commons Liaison Committee earlier this week.

Mr Pike told him: "Neighbourhood wardens become very acceptable but when the programme finishes they cannot be absorbed into the main core programme.

"Do you not think there is a very real problem for local authorities?"

Mr Blair replied: "I agree with that, Peter. That is one of the things that, again, we will look at in respect of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

"It arises particularly in relation to community wardens and community support officers and to those things that have actually worked extremely well in the local community." Mr Pike said: "We are looking at a council tax rise of about five per cent in Burnley. But there is a real problem with the money for neighbourhood wardens which are very popular.

"It has been extended but when it runs out Burnley Council will face the choice of raising council tax to make up for the special grants, scrapping the wardens or cutting something else. I am very pleased that Mr Blair is personally looking at this problem to try to tackle it."

Mr Pope said: "We've already had this problem in Hyndburn when the money for neighbourhood wardens ran out. The Labour administration proposed charging for car parking in the town, currently free, to make up a difference.

"There was uproar which may have cost Labour control of the council in the elections."