COUNTY Durham's social services chiefs say they are disappointed that their department did not get a higher inspection rating.

Durham County Council was given one star - the maximum is three - for the year 2000/2001 when the Social Services Inspectorate ran the rule over it.

The inspectors judged that services for both adults and children were serving some people well and the prospects for improvement were promising.

The council says the rating, announced at the end of last month, was based on 18-month-old data and does not reflect the current position of the department.

Social services director Peter Kemp told the council's cabinet that the judgement on the children's service did not reflect "significant developments recently progressed'' but should be accepted.

However, he said the judgement on adult services was harsh and should have been that it was serving most people well. He had written to the inspectorate asking it to revise its rating in the light of more recent data.

The inspectorate ruled that out, saying that it was their "considered judgement having taken all the available information into account".

Mr Kemp said: "I am confident that the council will improve its performance over the next two years.''

Cabinet member Christine Smith said: "We certainly are disappointed. The study was done 18 months ago and things have changed dramatically since then. There has been quite a lot of pain along the way to effect change.