A COUNCIL has launched an investigation into an £800,000 community centre, less than two months after it was officially opened.

Blackburn with Darwen Council confirmed that allegations had been made about the running of the new Green Lane centre in Mill Hill.

But the council refused to outline the exact nature of the allegations, who was conducting the investigation and when the outcome would be known.

Opposition councillors said they were alerted to problems at the centre, which opened in September, after a long-standing volunteer resigned.

Lesley Bradley confirmed she left the centre last Tuesday after working as a volunteer in the Green Lane area for eight years.

But Mrs Bradley declined to expand on why she had resigned.

Conservative councillor Derek Hardman said the Green Lane investigation raised concerns about how community centres were run, how they were funded and what controls the council had over them.

Coun Hardman added: "A lot of money has been spent building this centre and we have no idea about how it is being run and what it is costing taxpayers.

"The worrying thing is that the council is set to spend another £1million on community centres and there seems to be very little control over them. It is alarming, considering the huge amount of investment we have seen in these centres."

The centre replaced a rundown building which previously served the area.

It includes an all-day nursery and creche, a craft room, a dedicated working room for young people, an information technology suite, a community caf run by local people as a small business and a multi-purpose hall.

The centre is operated by council staff with the help of the local community and was funded with the help of Government and European grants.

A council spokesman confirmed that allegations about how the centre was being run had been made to its regeneration department and that an investigation had been launched.

Coun Mohammed Khan, executive member for housing and neighbourhoods said: "We are investigating this matter in accordance with council guidelines. In view of this it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this time.

"This is a preliminary investigation to see if there are any grounds to allegations which have been made."