A LEADING councillor has defended a council's officers in a row about the authority's accounts.

The Labour group on Lib Dem-controlled Durham City Council said there were errors in the official statement of 2003-2004 that was approved at a meeting and sent to the District Auditor.

One of them, Mike Syer, said there were mistakes in the accounts and that he and colleagues were not allowed to raise questions and clarifications at the meeting.

Cabinet member for finance Carol Woods said: "The director of corporate finance and her staff have worked incredibly hard so that the council is on a very much firmer financial footing.

"It is very unfair to give this sort of picture when it is the best job that has been done in a long time. This is criticism of the work of the officers, which is unacceptable."

She said the auditor would check the figures and that claims of recorded spending being £1m adrift were prompted by a typing error and had no impact on the finances.

She said members had several opportunities to raise concerns.