TWO of Lancaster's artistic favourites, the LitFest and Storey's Gallery, fear extinction if the suggested cuts get the go-ahead.

Lancaster LitFest is one of the oldest literature festivals in the country which receives an annual grant of £7,500 from the city council.

Director Andy Darby said they were devastated by the possible cut in funds and explained: "The £7,579 we receive from Lancaster City Council is the base of our funding and it allows us to raise a great deal more from sources outside the district. In the last year we were able to bring in around £100,000 from other funders because of the City Council support.

Recent guests invited to the city have included famous names like Sue Townsend, Roger McGough, Brian Keenan and John Hegley.

Mr Darby added: "If the proposed cuts go ahead then Lancaster will go from being a cultural capital to a cultural desert with little more than bars and nightclubs. It would be a tragedy if the festival was lost for the sake of a tiny proportion of the council's budget."

Chairman of the Storey Gallery, Andrew Mercer, said they get less than £9,000 from the City Council but in recent years they have attracted more than £300,000 in awards and grants from other sources.

"We need the council's money in order to generate matching funding from other sources," explained Mr Mercer. "We're currently undertaking a feasibility study and are in talks with the National Lottery to try and secure another £300,000 to improve facilities and carry out structural repairs. But without the city council grant we would have to close our doors and that would be the end of the gallery."