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Lancashire County Council bosses are warning that the council will be cleared out of its spare reserves by 2018, even though by then lots of services may have been axed.

The full scale of the dev-astation facing the county council, including the serv-ices which are at risk, is be-ing revealed to councillors this week.

Each political group is being briefed on the stark choices facing the council as it makes predicted cuts of an additional £223m by April 2020.

As councillors outlined the cost of legally required adult social care and chil-dren’s services, and non-legally required services, angry union leaders claimed that the county would be penniless within two years - but said residents and MPs had no idea of the dam-age being inflicted behind closed doors.

The shortfall, if the coun-cil continued to provide a full range of services, would be £112.4m in 2017/18.

C o u nty C o u n D av i d Borrow, deputy leader of

‘Every family will be affected by council cuts’

the council, admitted: “In 2017/18 we would be just about able to meet all our statutory requirements – everything non statutory would be unaffordable.”

With services ranging from street lighting and library provision to the minutiae of social care ob-ligations under the micro-scope, Elaine Cotterell, leader of the county’s UNI-SON branch, said the union is planning a public cam-paign.

She said: “Even we have been shocked by the scale of the cuts revealed to staff.Every family in Lancashire will be affected by this news because all of us pay for and use council services.”

She claimed the council would not be able to provide vital services after April 2018 and even street lights could go out.

Council leader Coun Jennifer Mein stressed La-bour rated some not legally required services essential such as economic develop-ment. She hoped all par-ties could agree on where to make the cuts.

Fencing masters raise a foilAn army of fencing masters are set to emerge from the Fylde coast after scores of children took part in new lessons.Children at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Mayfield and Clifton in St Annes, have been given the chance to raise a foil in the Olympic sport.

Fencing Education has brought classes to the schools – and soon to Hall Park in Lytham – in a bid to get more young people interested in the sport, one of just three to have appeared at every mod-ern Olympics.

And the sport has proved popular with pupils at Clifton Primary.

Charlie Cash, seven, said: “I’ve never done fencing in my life before.

“It’s really good because it gets you nice and strong and helps you balance.

“I think more people should do it then they get fit and healthy.”

Corey Johnson, seven, added: “I really like it. And I

like trying out new fencing moves.

“I train for it at home be-fore my lesson.”

Clifton Primary headteach-er Rachel Legge said the little ones had taken the sport to their hearts.

She added: “We are trying to provide our children with a wide range of sporting op-portunities in order to ignite excitement and enjoyment so that our children will have a passion for sport and healthy lifestyles.

“The fencing club is well run and the children have learned so much already in-cluding discipline, motiva-

tion and various techniques.“The company we are us-

ing are starting a club with-in the local community and we are hoping that now our children have had a taste of fencing that they will pursue it further outside of school.”

Antony Pemberton from Fencing Education, running the sessions, said: “Olympic fencing increases concentra-tion, confidence, discipline, respect and general health and fitness.

“The children are learn-ing the basics of foil fencing.

“It’s great because often, if a child isn’t good at the likes of rugby or football, it can put

them off all sport, but when they pick up a fencing foil they really enjoy it.

“We have started an evening club in the area and hopefully these sessions in the schools will also help act as feeder sessions for it.

“We’ve gone from having none to around 30 per week and we ae looking to expand the club to older children and adults as well.

lThe weekly fencing ses-sion takes place at Mayfield School, St Leonard’s Road East, St Annes, on Tuesday nights from 5.45 to 7.15pm. Call antonyu on 07738408731 for details.

By Gazette Reporternewsdesk@blackpoolgazette.co.uk@The_Gazette

Children at Clifton Primary School take part in fencing lessons

Joshua Hastings

Corey Johnstone, Charlie Cash and Reilly Pugsley