A NEW emergency control centre for south Cumbria is being launched today (Friday).

The centre, in Cumbria County Council's divisional fire headquarters in Barrow, will be activated in large-scale emergencies like widespread floods, big road accidents or industrial accidents.

It has been developed by CCC's emergency planning unit with Cumbria Police, the county's fire service, Barrow Borough Council and South Lakeland District Council and has been funded by BAE Systems, Centrica Energy and GlaxoSmithKline.