MORE than 100 refuse collections for disabled or ill people were missed in the first three months of the year, a report has shown.

Councillors who set up a review group to investigate assisted refuse collections were initially concerned by the figures until they heard the percentage it represented.

The task and review group was set up by Darlington Borough Council's neighbourhood services scrutiny body to investigate how many assisted collections are missed.

Assisted collections are provided to householders who are unable to take bags or recycling boxes to the kerbside because or disability or poor health. The review showed that between January and March this year, 113 assisted refuse collections were missed. The report said it raised "some concern to members".

Other details show that in a one-month period between July and August, a further 37 collections were missed, which members said "seemed high".

However, there were more than 300,000 collections made in total each month.

Of those, 860 households were on the assisted collection register prior to July, with that number now reduced to 697.

Councillor Doris Jones, who was part of the review group, said: "When we saw the figures we thought it was high and wanted to find out why.

"A lot of time it is because drivers don't get the address right, but they do go back and get the collections. We don't see this as a major problem."

She said collections missed were made the following day.

The conclusion of the report, which will be tabled to the neighbourhood services group next week, said: "From the work the group has undertaken, we are satisfied with the information that we have received in relation to the service and how it operates and the explanation we have been given in relation to the number of assisted collections missed and the protocol in place when they have been missed.

"We also feel that it is a positive and highly successful service, although we would like to continue to monitor the service once the second phase of the route optimisation review has been implemented."

Councillors conducting the review have recommended that future reports be made but no further action taken at this stage. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, at 9.30am, in the town hall.