A councillor is calling on people across West Cumbria to get involved in discussions about the way council services are led in future.

Talks are under way about changing the way local government operates in the county, which could see the number of councils reduced.

Allerdale councillor Adrian Davis-Johnston would like to see the county council and six district councils replaced by two unitary authorities, one representing West Cumbria, Carlisle and Penrith and the other the rest of the county.

Coun Davis-Johnston is working with Conservative colleagues to lobby for change.

He is urging people to contact their councillors, write to councils and MPs and make their views known so they do not miss the chance to influence the decision.

Coun Davis-Johnston said: "We need to have the conversation now. I'd urge people to go and speak to your councillors.

"Send a letter to the chief executive of your local council and tell them what you think.

"It's not me who's going to come up with the answer, it's the people of the county.

"We're making decisions that are going to effect people now but they're also going to affect our kids and their kids.

"With two unitary authorities we could cut the number of councillors from about 340 to probably about 120.

"At the moment about £3 million a year is spent on councillors. We could cut that to probably about £1 million."

The move, Coun Davis-Johnston said, would help protect frontline services and jobs.