FORMER Euro MP Michael Hindley has pointed an accusing finger at politicians in Brussels and Westminster for their failure to prevent the loss of vital EU aid for East Lancashire.

The ex-Lancashire South Euro MP fired his fierce broadside after 16 East Lancashire wards were removed from the assisted areas status map.

He said insufficient work had been done by MPs in both Brussels and Westminster and he accused them of 'lying low.'

He said: "This has always been on the cards. East Lancashire has been over-achieving in the field of Euro-funding for years, but the reprehensible fact is that local representatives have used Euro funding as a political football, blaming either Brussels or Westminster according to where party advantage lies.

"The reality is that this time round in the negotiations not enough work was done by our local representatives in Brussels and Westminster.

"My own suspicion is that MPs on the Government side were warned early of the inevitability of these cuts and decided that lying low was the best policy.

"MEPs, since the introduction of proportional representation and regional slates, simply have no constituency, so it's all the same to them whether East Lancashire or anywhere gets aid. All they need to do is keep in with the central party hierarchy and they will be on the list again next time."

The Government sparked fury by reversing its decision to offer assisted area status to several parts of Hyndburn, Burnley and Rossendale, but added Billinge, in Blackburn, to the places which will benefit from cash.