WHICH part of the district suffers the most from crime or nuisance - Ridge or the village of Wray?

That was the question being knocked about at council this week during a row over how cash for anti-crime measures should be spent.

The Ridge residents say they were promised money to tackle crime and nuisance on their estate but, at a special council meeting on Monday night, £37,00O was redirected to Wray and sheltered housing in Morecambe and Heysham.

During a heated debate members split across city versus country lines.

Ward councillor, Cllr Ian Barker, said: "On the Ridge we have a community group who are determined to tackle the problems of crime. "They've put a lot work in, there's a lot of community support and all they need is a little bit of money."

Independent councillor, Tricia Heath, said: "We have put £60,000 into the Ridge, which is £60,000 more than Labour gave in all their time in charge."

Commenting about the money going to places like Wray, Cllr Jean Yates, joked: "The chairman of the Police Authority lives in Wray and she hasn't spoken of any crime problem there.

"How can there be any comparison between Wray and the Ridge?"

Cllr Joyce Taylor added: "It's not about rich or poor, crime affects everyone. The money will be going to help mostly old people who are vulnerable and live in sheltered accommodation."

Housing chairman, Cllr Carol Broad, concluded: "The Ridge is getting the lion's share. Prospect Grove in Morecambe have been asking for help dealing with juvenile nuisance for some time. The Wray scheme has been in the pipeline for months.

"We've got to remember we serve the whole district, not just Lancaster and not just the inner city."