A LAST-DITCH effort is being made to stop bus service cuts in Pendle.

Senior Liberal Democrat councillors were due to meet Lancashire County Council chiefs today.

Among services that could be axed as part of county cuts are a number of school services to Park High School, Fisher More and Mansfield High as well as the "Mansfield Crescent" service at Brierfield and the Valley Mills and the Regent Street-Chapelhouse Road local services in Nelson.

The "demand-responsive" service for disabled and elderly people at Broken Banks, Colne also faces the chop.

Councillors Sonia Robinson and Tony Greaves will represent Pendle Council, together with the highways manager Peter Atkinson in a meeting with County Councillor Tony Martin, the cabinet member who is due to decide the future of the bus services tomorrow.

Coun Robinson said: "For some people these services are a lifeline. I am sure there are ways of organising them better to save some of the cost."

Councillors hope to persuade Coun Martin to at least postpone the decisions to allow time for further discussions to find ways to save services.

Coun Greaves added: "The County Council has very clear policies for schools in Lancashire, and in its planning policies, to encourage pupils to travel on foot, by bicycle or by public transport.

"By scrapping services it is flying in the face of its own policies, making the 'school run' far worse and more dangerous."