A TEAM of top level auditors arrived in Burnley yesterday to carry out a "root and branch" inspection of council services.

The week-long inspection is part of the council's efforts to improve its functions after being criticised in a report into last year's riots.

The audit will be carried out by the Improvement and Development Agency.

Council chief executive Gillian Taylor said: "We wanted an honest and independent view of our strengths and weaknesses as an authority and these are the best people for the job."

The review team will spend a week meeting and talking with members of the public and representatives from other organisations as well as a cross-section of elected members and staff.

Mrs Taylor added: "We have been planning our review since before the disturbances last summer. However, those events and the subsequent task force report, obviously add an extra dimension to the review by highlighting a particular set of local challenges."

The task force report into the cause of the Burnley riots criticised the council for a lack of an overall strategy for the town and weak civic leadership.

The report recommended that the council should examine its staffing arrangements and consider appointing additional staff.

An Improvement and Development Agency Spokesman said: "A peer review indicates an authority's strengths, the issues it should consider and recommendations for improvement.

"We have been invited into Burnley to carry out one of these reviews."