NEARLY 70 per cent of residents have said they are satisfied with the services provided by Darlington Borough Council.

In a survey in September, more than 1,000 people were asked what they thought of the council.

The results show that 69.3 per cent said they were happy - a rise of three per cent on last year's figure.

The services that achieved the highest customer satisfaction rating were street lighting, refuse collection, the upkeep and appearance of the town centre, the Civic Theatre and security measures.

However, road and pavement maintenance, town centre car parking and activities for youngsters scored the lowest satisfaction ratings.

Council leader John Williams said: "It is pleasing to see the level of overall satisfaction rising year after year because it means that the majority of residents are pleased with the way we are running things.

"Where levels of satisfaction are lower we look to make improvements."

Figures produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 2003/4 show the national average for overall satisfaction with local councils is 55 per cent.