BURY Council has blotted its copybook and been handed two black marks by the Local Government Ombudsman.

Patricia Thomas investigated 50 complaints last year - up from the previous year's 30, and found two cases of maladministration causing injustice.

One case concerned social services, and the failure by the council's then registration and inspection unit to investigate a complaint about the standard of care in a residential home. The council was ordered to pay the complainant £500.

The second case was the council's alleged failure to take into account the likelihood of flooding to a neighbouring property if a development took place. Mrs Thomas suggested the council and developer should agree compensation.

Of the other cases, six were settled locally, in 24 there was insufficient evidence to justify formal investigation, eight were settled by the ombudsman, and ten were outside her jurisdiction.