THE four most deprived wards in Hyndburn are to receive a £2.5million cash boost to tackle problems.

The council's cabinet will be asked to approve the allocation of £959,295 of the money to existing projects to tackle deprivation in the borough when it meets tomorrow.

Money has been allocated to the borough as part of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF), a cash pot designed to tackle deprivation in the country's most deprived wards.

Money from the fund is intermittently allocated to run-down areas and the latest funding will be used to improve the Barnfield, Springhill, Central and Church wards - recognised as being among the bottom 10 per cent of deprived wards in the country.

The cash will be spent on continuing half of 26 projects which are already up and running, as well as setting up new schemes between 2004 and 2006.

Some of the projects will attract other funding and target the whole borough, including the accredited landlords scheme.

Among the new projects under consideration are a healthy heart programme to tackle heart disease, and a social care project, although it is yet to be commissioned.

On top of the £959,295, a further £569,860 has been allocated, mainly for staff to oversee projects; and £320,592 will be spent over the next two years to match-fund and help pay for community wardens.

Mark Hopley, strategy manager for Hyndburn First, said: "It's good news for the borough because it's more money to help us improve overall quality of life. We are seeking to improve those parts of the borough where residents suffer from poor health or high levels of crime or unemployment.

"We are trying to get organisations to work together to make a bigger difference. NRF is to enable us to find new ways of providing services which help to meet the needs of the community and tackle the underlying cause of deprivation."

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "It's always good to welcome more money into the borough."