IN response to the recent bad publicity given to council staff sickness (LET, February 14), I would point out that the statistics provided by the councils are very misleading and that readers should not jump to conclusions.

Many council departments, such as social services, now carry numerous vacancies. Why? because insufficient qualified and experienced people apply, leaving the staff who are already working having to 'cover' the duties of these vacant posts. And we all know how social services are pilloried if and when a child dies, don't we?

No wonder, therefore, that some staff do go off sick when they are doing the work of more than one person and, dare I say it, for only one salary. No overtime is paid to staff covering the responsibilities for vacant posts, yet the work still has to be done.

Having worked for a council for more than 35 years, I know of innumerable cases of staff who have suffered from long-term ill health because of the stress this causes.

These illnesses are not one day 'sickies,' headaches and migraines (as some of your correspondents allege), but staff suffering with cancers, heart attacks and very real anxiety and depressive disorders.

It only needs one member of staff to be off sick for six months and these 'sickness statistics' are adversely skewed.

NOEL EKE, Pickering Fold, Blackburn.