TOWN Hall staff are off sick 10 days a year on average, new figures have revealed.

The sick days taken by workers for Bolton Council - the town"s biggest employer - is costing tax payers nearly £10million a year.

And the leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Barbara Ronson, said it was not good enough.

Now an investigation into sickness rates is expected to be held. Some councillors called for a private firm to be brought in to monitor the staff.

Representatives of the firm would contact council employees during their sickness to check up on their illness and offer medical advice.

Organisations that carry out the service claim they can reduce sickness rates by around 30 per cent.

All three of Bolton"s political parties have condemned the sickness rates which show that almost a quarter of a million days are being lost every year.

The council pays almost £10 million a year - equivalent to a three per cent rise on council tax bills - to staff who are not working as a result of being ill.

Tory Cllr Andy Morgan is urging council leaders to consider introducing a private firm to help ease the strain on council tax caused by staff sickness.

He said: "These figures are unacceptable and a severe strain on the council budget.

"This measure is not just about catching people out but helping them to get over their illnesses."

But unions have blamed the levels of sickness on overcrowded offices, staff shortages and the pressure of tough Government targets.

Martin Challender, secretary of the Bolton Metro branch of UNISON, said: "People working for the council are more likely to suffer from stress and back problems and many also have to deal with the pressure of covering for unfilled positions.

"You also have to take into consideration that the average age of council employees is 47 and that 80 per cent of staff are women.

"I do not think this proposal is necessary because the council already has mechanisms in place to monitor sickness."

The average number of days being missed by the council"s 12,500 staff has fallen slightly from 10.79 in 2002/3.

The figures follow the release of a council report which revealed that almost a quarter of long-term sickness among council staff was caused by backache and similar pains.

Council tax is set to rise by at least 4.6 per cent in April after the council set its budget for 2005/6.

Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris called for an all-party group to be set up to consider the Conservatives" plans and other proposals to improve sickness rates.

He said: "Measures must be put in place because we cannot allow these figures to run as high as this."

The Liberal Democrat leader of Bolton Council Cllr Barbara Ronson said she was happy to set up a policy development group to look at the issues more closely.

She added: "I am pleased to see the figures going in the right direction but this is not a good enough improvement and we will strive to do better.

"Our managers are already looking at ways of getting the figures down because this is a serious issue for the council."