Cornish language's funding boost

The Cornish Language Partnership claim fewer than 500 people worldwide are fluent in the language.

The government is spending nearly £400,000 to help save the Cornish language.

The announcement ends months of uncertainty for Cornish Language Partnership staff whose contracts had been due to end.

Local government minister Andrew Stunnell said the three-year funding package for the service would help make sure the language survived.

But he warned that long term funding should come from Cornwall.

He said it was "important to make sure the Cornish were given the opportunity to put down sound foundations."

"In the longer term support for the Cornish language is going to be something which is going to have to be based in Cornwall and will not come from London," he added.

The Cornish Language Partnership's, Jennifer Lowe, said: "We can now plan for the future thanks to the funding."

The United Nations recently upgraded the status of the Cornish language from "extinct" to "critically endangered".

It is thought fewer than 500 people worldwide are fluent in the language.