BURNLEY's flagship Mechanics arts centre and theatre and the town's Gannow Baths may be closed in a bid to head off a crippling budget crisis.

The two options are among a number of measures under consideration as council chiefs struggle to find £500,000 savings to balance the books this year.

The introduction of charges for the town's prestigious Towneley Hall Museum will also come under scrutiny by finance chiefs desperately trying to fill the black hole in the budget.

Councillors are also looking into the possibility of slashing £170,000 from Burnley's parks budget.

They have been warned that if some of the measures are implemented, they would involve redundancies and consultation is taking place with trade unions involved.

Finance chairman Peter Kenyon said all issues would go out to full public consultation before any final decisions are made on February 8.

He added: "This is the most difficult budget round we have faced. I have never known it so bad."