FEARS are growing that millions of fresh cuts need to be made at Worcestershire County Council - with worried politicians demanding answers.

There are serious concerns that the new funding support from central Government has fallen so short, a black hole as high as £13 million has opened up.

It has led to Councillor Simon Geraghty, the new leader, pleading for patience from fellow councillors to sort it out.

As your Worcester News revealed two weeks ago, County Hall's main revenue support grant for the 2016/17 year starting in April has fallen millions short of expectations.

Bosses were expecting £43 million but are now anxiously sifting through the details, calling it incredibly complicated but "below expectations".

The Conservative leadership has already settled on having to save just under £25 million next year, and had drawn up existing plans based on having to find fresh cuts of £2 million under a scenario considered realistic.

But the offer from Whitehall is believed to have come in significantly worse than first feared, with that gap widening to as much as £13 million.

The leadership has chosen not to publicly reveal the figure yet, saying finance officers are still assessing the implications, and that they are making "full representations" to the Government to try and get some last-gasp changes.

But it has led to some councillors asking for answers on what it could mean for services and jobs.

Lib Dem Councillor Liz Tucker, speaking during a full council meeting, said: "This is a meeting of all 57 councillors and I don't see why we can't have answers today.

"I have heard nothing apart from this rumoured figure of £13 million."

Councillor Simon Geraghty, the new leader, said: "There is an increasing gap, and we'll have to look at that in any way we can that minimises the impact on front line services.

"But it is important in this very short space of time, over the Christmas and early January period to allow our officers chance to assess what is a very, very complicated set of figures.

"They are probably the most complicated I've ever seen - as soon as we've been able to assess them properly we'll bring them forward for a frank, open and honest discussion."

During the debate Labour Councillor Richard Udall blamed the "austerity Chancellor" for the problems, asking the leader to make clear what "red lines" there are to cutting services.

Later in the session Labour's Chris Bloore said it was "time to ditch the white flag to the Government" and demand a better deal, with Councillor Geraghty saying he will provide a "full response" to ministers.

"I don't expect it to be easy, which is why I beg this council's indulgence to look at this over the next few weeks," he said.

More details on the fresh funding problems are expected to emerge during a series of meetings next week.

The 2016/17 budget, which will be voted on in February, includes a 3.9 per cent council tax rise, the largest allowed without staging a public referendum, to pump more cash into social care for adults and vulnerable children.

But the fresh implications of the funding offer from central Government means a race against time to make some late alterations over the next two weeks.