BURY'S rent collection service has been severely criticised as rent arrears spiral to £2.3 million.

Best Value inspectors pulled no punches in their report, in which they awarded the service a "poor, no stars" grading on a scale of zero to three.

Councillor Mike Connolly, executive member for housing, resisted calls for him to resign at Wednesday's (Feb 27) council meeting.

"I am quite confident, as are the Best Value Inspectorate, that the plans we have put in place will deliver improvements," he said. "There's no chance of me ever having to resign because I know they will be delivered."

Arrears are now £2.3 million, up 25 per cent from last year. Former tenants owe £1.2 million, and inspectors say the council must take urgent action to reduce this.

The team said there was "a culture of tenants being passed from one department to another", and urged the council to look at creating "one stop shops" and co-ordinated advice services.

However, they also had good news -- they awarded the service the second highest "likely to improve" status.

Its strengths included its "dedicated staff and increasing involvement of tenants in managing the service". The new housing advice service was also praised.

Ms Julie Goulding, Bury's director of personal and community services, said: "We have already adapted some of our planned improvements to take the inspectors' comments on board.

"The inspection team made it clear that we have promising prospects. We now have to turn those into achievements and everyone will be working hard to do that."