Rural areas can face cyber isolation

Seventeen centres offering the latest computer technology with high speed broadband internet connections were launched on Monday.

Young people from different parts of the county were involved in the launch using a live link up via the web.

The council hopes it will make rural communities less isolated.

It has joined forces with the Northwest Development Agency's North West Broadband Fund, the Rural Development Fund to open the centres in schools and community centres.

'Digital divide'

The council says the centres are being created to develop community use of computers with broadband for personal and social education, to reduce social exclusion and break down the "digital divide" between families who can and cannot afford the technology.

Many of the centres are in rural areas where broadband access is difficult even for people who can afford it.

County Council leader Hazel Harding said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for young people not just to communicate easily with their colleagues on the other side of Lancashire, but on the other side of the world in just a matter of minutes.