A DAMNING internal report at Rossendale Council has criticised staff for taking excessive breaks, and claims absenteeism and sickness are rife.

The report into the street scene and liveability department, which looks after waste collection, recycling, parks, and open spaces, follows a four-month review.

Council bosses today admitted there were problems, but said the review was part of an improvement plan - implemented at the authority after it was branded the worst in the country in a disastrous Audit Commission report in 2002 - to identify areas where it could perform better.

Now officers have pledged a major shake-up of the service.

The review, by Enterprise Plc, revealed:

l staff taking up to 20-minute breaks, instead of the 10 minutes allowed

l no procedures for assessing inquiries, or for crews to resolve missed bins or access problems

l depot facilities were not fit, while bin collections used an unreliable fleet

l too much emphasis was put on cleaning town centres to the detriment of outlying areas, with large areas overgrown with weeds and strewn with litter.

The report also said: "The problem with sickness and absenteeism had not been addressed for some time, leading to a culture of absence throughout the service and an increase in spending money paying for agency staff."

Today Rossendale MP Janet Anderson said: "This is a complete shambles. Rossendale Council has known for some time that it really had to get its act together and improve its performance in this area. It has clearly been found lacking and it calls into question the capability of the most senior management to actually run the place."

Chief executive Owen Williams said: "It does go back to a lack of leadership, which is why we are in this current situation. Had we not been in this situation across the authority's other service areas, there would have been more focus on this area earlier.

"The improvement change has taken some time, but we are here now and are sharing this, warts and all."

Coun Judith Driver said: "The analysis of the report wasn't very good at all, but we now know what we need to do to provide a better service.

"There has been a lack of investment in this service for many, many years and the report does pick that up."

Council leader Duncan Ruddick said: "What we have unearthed has been going on for donkey's years, but what it does do is highlight the good work that has been going on within the council to bring about change.

"There is no criticism of the guys on the wagons because they have been without proper supervision or management but have been getting on with the job."