A FURIOUS row has broken out over claims Darwen will be 'worst hit' by Labour regaining control of the borough council.

Sunnyhurst councillor Tony Melia, a former deputy leader of the coalition ousted by Labour, said Labour would channel funding into strongholds in Blackburn ahead of the elections in May.

But new leader of the council, Coun Kate Hollern, said the claims were 'absolute rubbish'.

Coun Melia said: “Darwen is not and never has been a big Labour area, and I’m almost certain that they will now start channelling money into wards in Blackburn where there’s a lot of Labour support, ready for next May.

“They say they’re going to re-open Shadsworth Leisure Centre, so the money’s got to come from somewhere, and that will be Darwen.

“Because we’ve got a town council now, Labour will hope it will step in to provide services the borough should be doing."

But Coun Hollern said: “Once again Coun Melia is talking absolute rubbish, and doing his usual scaremongering.

“Let us just examine his track record. He promised a multi-million pound stadium and delivered nothing, he promised a planetarium and delivered nothing, he promised a new train station, delivered nothing. He promised to oppose the bus lane, then voted for it.”

She added: “Under the Labour administration Darwen got the academy, the leisure centre, the health centre, Housing Market Renewal and Surestart centres for children.”

Steve Duncan, leader of Darwen Town Council, said the borough and town council needed to work together.

“There are so many funding streams available at the moment," he said. "I think they need to work together so that there’s only one or two people can turn to if other funding is cut.”