PEOPLE in east Durham are being promised "significant improvements'' in their council tax and housing benefit service.

Easington District Council made the pledge after an inspection rated it "fair''.

The Audit Commission's Best Value inspection service - Best Value is a yardstick for judging council-run services - said the service was "likely to improve''.

The Labour-run council's chief executive, Paul Wilding, said: "The district of Easington has one of the highest proportion of benefits recipients in the country.

"We are sure that the users of the service will notice significant improvements in the service as a result of the improvement plan we have agreed with the Best Value inspection service.''