COUNCIL chiefs in North Yorkshire are warning that social care and other essential services are likely to suffer through lack of funding.

North Yorkshire County Council its share of a national funding pot is only half of the additional cash it is having to spend throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

And it says its share of the cash has been reduced compared to previous allocations.

Despite the fact the county council is spending an additional £65 million to tackle Covid-19, it has only been allocated £26 million of Government funding.

County council leader Cllr Carl Les said: “There is clearly a need for further funding or there will inevitably be an impact upon the crucial services we provide and to the wider economy including our supply chain.

“We will simply not be able to provide the levels of local support we believe need to be in place in response to a global pandemic.”

He added: “We provide the essential care services that are helping to protect the NHS along with our partners in the care market and this will undoubtedly restrict our ability to do what we think are the right things.

“I fear some county councils will find themselves in very difficult circumstances as they will not be able to bridge this gap."

He added that some plans for future investment had now been impacted.