CHESHIRE'S 2,000-plus vulnerable children will suffer most if the county is split into two.

That's the warning from the county council's children's services director Joan Feenan.

She also claims plans to develop children's trusts could be put back over a year if Whitehall was to favour east/west partition.

Such a split would also affect the funding of current specialist services for vulnerable children and could disrupt the vital programme to establish children's centres across Cheshire, says Mrs Feenan.

The county council and its partners plan to meet the Government's 2008 target for the introduction of trusts, combining the strengths of all relevant organisations working together to protect children at risk.

Cheshire currently has 150 children on the 'at risk register'; 550 in the care of the local authority and around 1,600 a year who come to the attention of the Youth Offending Team.

Mrs Feenan said: 'Without doubt, valuable progress made to date would be seriously curtailed by disruption and delays inevitably resulting from any decision to create two new authorities.'

The director has also voiced concerns about the 'serious consequences' of splitting Cheshire on specialist services currently provided for supporting vulnerable youngsters with communication, emotional and behavioural needs.

She said: 'One of the benefits of a large authority derived through economy of scale is that it is able to afford specialist services which add greatly to the overall quality of education for those children requiring additional help.

'But the disproportionate costs of management duplication for two authorities could well seriously threaten the funding of specialist services.'

Mrs Feenan also highlighted her fears about the disruption to the countywide development programme of children's centres - particularly in the east of the county.