ANGRY Conservative councillors have slammed the ruling group at County Hall for failing to support moves to improve Lancashire's public transport network.

Furious Tories believe Lancashire's Labour Party should be pressing environment and transport minister John Prescott for extra funds.

They argue that cash should be made available from the recent privatisation of the rail network.

Recent estimates put profits from the sale at around £180 million per year.

A row between the two parties broke out at a public transport sub-committee meeting.

Conservative spokesman on highways and transport Ann Law-Riding said: "We have had many years of the Labour group on the county council constantly demanding extra funding from the Government and making representations to ministers and MPs at every opportunity. "We now see them refusing to make contact with, or seeking help and assistance from, their Labour colleagues at Westminster, even when funding is clearly available.

"This surely must call into question the confidence of the Labour group in their new team at Westminster."

Bob Clark, chairman of public transport, hit back at the Tories. He said: "Basically this is a lot of nonsense and the Conservatives are trying to kick up a fuss about nothing.

""At the moment there is no surplus left over from the sale of the rail franchises and all the money is going from the Government into the rail network.

"That could change in the future and the Labour Government has promised to look at ways of reinvesting that money when it happens."

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