CARLISLE City Council chiefs have pledged to continue their support for a service offering a lifeline to the victims of sexual assault.

The executive wants to give £20,000 a year to the initiative led by the office of Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The authority previously supported the scheme on a non-recurring basis but now it wants to commit to awarding the cash annually.

Alison Taylor, corporate director of finance and resources, told a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing board that the plans would provide a “permanent contribution” towards the Sexual Assault Referral Service.

She said: “This is a service that we, and many of the other districts in Cumbria, have been supporting.

“We have been supporting it on a non-recurring basis of £20,000 a year and the executive felt this was a worthwhile scheme to continue supporting.

“And we are intending to put £20,000 on a recurring basis in the budget to continue supporting that referral service.”

The annual contribution has now been identified as a new spending pressure in the authority’s budget.