LANCASHIRE County Council has approved further budget cuts of £77m as part of its attempt to save £122m by 2022.

The Tory-led council's plans will see the axe fall on household waste recycling centres, welfare advice services, Special Educational Needs and disability services.

Conservative leader, county councillor Geoff Driver said the savings will be implemented later this year, subject to consultation.

Labour opposition leader, county councillor Azhar Ali described the budget as the 'Tories Valentine's Day Massacre'. 

Plans also include increasing the authority’s element of the council tax in 12 boroughs (including Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale) by 3.99 per cent

This would add £51.67 a year to a typical Band D home’s bill.

Savings options include plans to axe more than £1 million in funding for the Lancashire Breaktime Service which provides respite for the parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities 

Around £6.5m of the savings depend on the outcome of the public consultation, including plans to end the Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Service for those facing health and social issues.

From April, the remainder can started to be implemented after the council approved the ruling group's plans on Thursday evening with 42 votes for and 35 against. 

The marathon six hour full council budget meeting saw dozens of people protest outside county hall at planned cuts to public health and children's services.

While protesters hanging a banner from the public gallery saying 'These cuts are killing us' caused the adjournment of the meeting for 10 minutes.

Cllr Ali said: "It is a massacre that will lead to more pain for the sick, elderly, disabled and weak. People will die as a result of some of these cuts.

“This consultation is a sham – this administration does not listen to consultations, it is purely a vehicle for shutting services. 

Liberal Democrat group leader county councillor David Whipp said: "This is a budget that contains cruel and callous cuts.

"It is a chronic consequence of underfunding by central government."

But Cllr Geoff Driver said: "I can assure councillors and those wishing to let us have their views, that we have sufficient flexibility in the budget to amend it if we are persuaded to do so by the result of the opinions expressed."