SOCIAL services bosses in Blackburn with Darwen arranged 27 adoptions in the past year - almost doubling their intended target.

And one judge who granted adoption orders for a group of five brothers and sisters praised the authority, saying no other council would have worked as hard to achieve adoptions in such a situation.

The adoption service presented its annual report to Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive board yesterday .

Its figure of 27 adoptions was considerably higher than the Public Service Agreement target of 15, made with the government for April 2003 to April 2004.

A number of the children placed were also from the so-called 'hard to place' categories, which include older children, groups of brothers and sisters and children from families with mental health difficulties.

The council used a bank of volunteers, liaised with a Greater Manchester consortium made up of 10 local authorities and five voluntary agencies and advertised.

Stephen Sloss, director of social services, said: "Adoption gives children the stability that they need to develop.

"Adoption service staff have done excellent work. We developed a Fast Track Adoption Service and their contribution can be seen in the successes we have enjoyed.

"We also have 18 children placed for adoption - that is, we have found families for them and we are working towards adoption orders."

An information day for people interested in adopting is being held at Blackburn Library on June 10 at 7.30pm.