NEW figures show that disabled people in Ramsbottom have reaped the benefits of an improved council service.

Bury Council's disability services team now aims to give urgent cases almost immediate staff attention while other people have to wait only a few weeks for help.

Recently-released Government performance indicators show that across the borough 75 per cent of deliveries of equipment are undertaken in less than seven working days.

The service, which helps people with physical disability or visual or hearing loss, provides a range of help including information on equipment services, assessing people's equipment needs and helping people to get in and out of home and get up and down stairs.

Councillor Mike Connolly, Bury Council's executive member for health and social services, said: "This is an incredible improvement in a service which provides in some cases cradle-to-grave assistance for some of the borough's most vulnerable citizens. This team undertakes nearly half of all referrals that go to social services."