Residents of Blackburn have been trying an interactive method of chosing their priorities for council services.

Council chiefs have to trim a further six milllion off their budget in March and so set up a market stall to find out what people wanted most.

Hundreds of people put coloured balls in different tubes representing things from children's services, to parks to select their prorities.

Councillor Andy Kay, Executive member for Resources at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We set a two year budget last year following the unprecedented cuts."

He said, "It's important that people are able to understand what their Council Tax pays for and we also want to continue to talk as a community about the impact of these cuts and discuss priorities. All the information we have been gathering over the past year influences our decisions."