BATTLING Bromsgrove residents who are calling for the district council to stand down claim a condemning Government report on the authority shows it runs a "sloppy ship".

Bromsgrove District Tenants Association, opposed to sheltered housing residents being stung for service charges, has a copy of the Best Value survey carried out on Bromsgrove District Council.

Vice-chairman Dennis Wheatley said the survey condemns the council for its incompetence in running its affairs.

He added the document concluded: "Overall performance, management and productivity are poor.

"The targets the council has set itself are unrealistic, not achievable and not monitored."

Mr Wheatley said: "This shows the council is running a sloppy ship and pensioners are having to pay.

"Council leader Nick Psirides we ask you once again to depart quietly before the town goes bankrupt."

Cllr Nick Psirides (Con, Norton) said: "The direct result of these criticisms comes from a budget which was set in the last year of the Labour administration.

"They raided the housing budget in order to have minimum rent increases in their last two years.

"We now have the task of building up these balances to a figure acceptable to the Audit Commission."