NEWS FIRST: The City Council is to take the drastic measure of closing the benefits department for three weeks in a bid to clear a massive backlog of claims.

The benefits department will be closed from February 18 to March 14.

Problems with a new computer system has meant the department has a backlog of 11,000 items of correspondence. Calls and complaints to the office are preventing the backlog from being cleared and council tax bills are due out in mid-March.

One senior councillor said: "It's not good enough. This is very poor service for some of the most vulnerable people in the district." NEWS FIRST: A prison officer at Lancaster Castle Prison has been charged with assault following an attack on a prisoner last November.

Another officer has been charged with professional misconduct and both are due to appear before a disciplinary hearing.

The charges were made following an inquiry by the Governor of Preston Prison. The authorities have yet to set a date for the hearing.

NEWS FIRST: Burger giants McDonalds and a Cumbrian-based funfair operator are in negotiations with the council to develop land on the promenade next to the Platform.

The food chain wants to open a restaurant on the site but there are fears their plans will take up too much of the Festival Market's parking space. The funfair operator wants to base a static family funfair with traditional carousels on the land. It is currently a council run car park.

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