LANCASHIRE County Council bosses have told Lancashire's political leaders to put aside their differences or face missing out on crucial funding.

Council leader Hazel Harding admitted the single biggest thing holding the county back was the idea that the various town hall bosses could not agree on the best way forward.

As well as the Labour-controlled county council, there are 14 district councils within the county, led by different political parties.

District council bosses have clashed with County Hall in recent weeks over issues including the doomed Parkwise scheme and the concessionary bus fares for elderly people.

But Coun Harding, who was launching a new "lobbying strategy" for Lancashire, said council bosses were working together better than people thought.

She said: "The single thing holding us back would be the perception that we don't have a united voice.

"If we could get rid of that it would make a huge difference.

"We are far more united than we were, but that perception takes a long time to change. There is a lot of joint working going on, but it is very easy for people to divide us."

She said the county needed to lobby harder to the likes of the North West Regional Development Agency and central government to compete against Greater Manchester and Merseyside, which she claimed were overfunded compared to Lancashire.

But Lancashire could match Merseyside's economy despite having a smaller population, she said.

The new strategy will see the county bosses approach MPs directly to try to bring in more money to the the area