THOUSANDS of street lights will be turned off in a package of Lancashire County Council cuts which includes reductions in services for vulnerable adults and children.

The authority yesterday revealed £77million new savings by 2022 which will see more bus lane cameras and more on-street pay-and-display parking machines in town centres to raise cash.

The cutbacks, revealed in papers for a special Cabinet meeting on Monday, December 3, include turning off 18,000 of its 100,000 residential street lights in the middle of the night.

It will cut the number of care workers attending many older and disabled people from two to one per visit and transfer adults with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs from homes into supported flats.

The current Lancashire Breaktime Service offering school holiday daycare for children with disabilities including at locations in Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale will be scrapped.

Some family support worker jobs will be axed as the council cuts 163 posts.

Taxis for children excluded from school to pupil referral units will be replaced with bus passes, and little-used school bus services will be scrapped.

The Lancashire Well-being Service offering health advice will be scrapped. The county’s welfare right advice, drug and alcohol services will see cuts.

Revenue-raising measures include increasing the current 27 on-street pay and display parking machines to 80 with the town centres of Whalley, Clitheroe, Burnley, Padiham and Great Harwood on the list.

New bus lane enforcement cameras will be installed across the county to raise £2m a year.

Councillors' allowances will be frozen and their travel and meal expenses cut to save £200,000. The council's three travellers’ sites will be transferred or closed.

The authority’s Conservative leader Cllr Geoff Driver said the moves were the latest stage in transforming the county's finances, cutting its deficit from more than £200m last year to just £46m by 2023.

He said: “This is about improving the efficiency and effectiveness of services. Everything has been risk-assessed.”

Labour opposition leader Cllr Azhar Ali said: “Switching off one-in-five street lights will increase crime and compromise road safety. Elderly and disabled adults will be put at serious risk by the cuts in social care.”

Cllr Driver admitted: “I do not see any sign at the moment that austerity is over.”