STRATFORD District Council has joined a new campaign to get more support for rural areas.

The Rural Services Partnership (RSP) was launched in London to lobby the Government for better public services in rural areas.

Set up by SPARSE, a coalition of 60 of England's most rural local authorities, the campaign aims to bring together all the providers of services, including police, fire, health care, housing associations, colleges and transport.

District council deputy leader Trevor Russel said: "It will provide a new, strong, loud and clear voice for all rural service providers.

"It will focus on the broad sweep of public service in rural areas and provide a joined-up approach to tackle issues important to the most rural areas of England.

"The RSP can count on the district council's full support to get a change of mindset in Whitehall and reverse the bias against rural areas. Otherwise problems with a rural service provision will persist and councils like ours will continue to lose out to the urban authorities."

Mr Russel said he hoped other service providers in Warwickshire would join the RSP to form a common front.