HYNDBURN’S most deprived areas will lose staffed neighbourhood offices described as ‘godsends to the community’.

The area’s Neighbourhood Management Boards traditionally received thousands in national cash to spend on improvements decided on and implemented by boards of residents.

Residents in the affected areas of Clayton-le-Moors, West Accrington and East Accrington say that the service dealt with everything from dealing with flytipping to reporting suspected drug activity.

Woodnook resident Brian Beston, 67, said the East Accrington board had been ‘a godsend’.

He said: “The board got two men on a wagon to deal with fly-tipping.

“There were piles of furniture and always the possibility of needles. A lot of people also reported crime there because they didn’t want to be seen going to the police.”

The decision to end the boards is a result of axed government grants worth thousands of pounds to deprived areas.

From next month seven officers who staffed the Pickup Street, Hyndburn Road,and Nuttall Street offices will lose their jobs and new council-funded Area Councils will replace them.

However opposition leader Miles Parkinson said: “The problem with area councils is they are run by councillors so it all has to be ratified, voted, stamped.

The residents will just look on whereas on the boards they controlled everything.”

MP Graham Jones said: “It’s a disaster - neighbourhood boards relieved so much of the work of the council. This will see services stretched.

”But Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said the council would soon oversee eight area councils instead of the current five covering Great Harwood, Baxenden, Rishton, Oswaldtwistle and Huncoat.

He said: “Neighbourhood board areas have in the past received special treatment, which we knew wouldn’t continue after cuts.”

Just one Neighbourhood Management Board, based at Scaitcliffe Community Centre, will continue.

It had gaining £300,000 to fund it for four years from the Big Lottery Fund.