TIM Farron, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate, has hit out at the inadequate rural recovery funding which is leaving small businesses in South Lakeland in dire straits.

Mr Farron is urging for more money to be made available for businesses, following the news last week that the rural recovery grant funding had run dry.

"It is clear that bids for support from the Rural Recovery Grant are being turned down because the £ 5million allocated by the government has already been spent," said Mr Farron.

"This is unacceptable because no mention was ever made that there was a limited timescale in which businesses had to apply."

Mr Farron has written to trade secretary Patricia Hewitt, demanding more financial support for the tourism and small business sector.