NO railway station in East Lancashire has gained "secure" status, it was revealed.

First North-Western Trains, which owns 308 stations -- including all 19 in East Lancashire -- has failed to gain a single award under the official "Secure Station'' scheme.

Liberal Democrats were told at their annual conference in Bournemouth that after more than three years since it was launched fewer than 120 of Britain's 2,500 over-ground stations have been accredited meaning that it would take 76 years for all the rest to be brought up to standard.

The scheme was designed to ensure that companies upgraded station facilities to basic standards of safety and passenger comfort, including installing CCTV.

And in the case of First North-Western, not a single one of the 308 stations had got the award and at that rate it would never have all of them up to scratch.

The company today admitted no stations had the award, saying at £25,000 per station CCTV was too expensive. Although a spokesman said a lot was being done to increase the feelings of personal security.

He said: "We are working with partners such as the British Transport Police, Railtrack, other train operators, local councils etc to improve security at stations.

"CCTV is very costly and there is simply not the funds to install it at every station.

However we are examining potential priority stations for such equipment over the coming year and will seek partnership funding to do so."

And the company was defended by the Rail Passengers Committee for the North West.

David Butterworth, who is the chairman of the group's independent First North Western sub-committee, said: "It's true there are many stations that do not fulfill the criteria for the secure station scheme but they inherited that from the old British Rail. They can not achieve this overnight simply because of the cost.

"Some stations do have CCTV and even though they may not have the badge, people do feel very secure."