Lancashire Telegraph comment: There is no doubt that savings can be found at councils.

But the cuts being implemented go beyond scything through areas of wasteful spending.

The unprecedented levels of reductions forced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government threaten to cause real damage to the economy in East Lancashire.

And this is ironic as they are supposed to help the country reduce the deficit and get back on track.

Take Blackburn with Darwen Council for example.

Yesterday, it was announced core services were to be slashed, leading to 1,000 job losses.

That equates taking more than £10million of salaries, which would have been spent locally, out of the economy.

The knock-on effect will be far reaching.

On a day-to-day basis the services those workers would use – newsagents, sandwich shops, buses, trains and petrol stations – will be badly hit.

And also spending on larger items – televisions, cars and houses – will badly hit.

The government believes the private sector will pick up the jobs lost. But there are already 10,000 people out of work in East Lancashire and figures show five people are chasing every vacancy.

In the rush to clear the deficit, ministers’ frenzied cuts may end up causing more problems.