LEIGH and Atherton residents have been assured that Wigan Council is financially sound.

Official auditors have declared that the council has a good, strong practice and is in a "sound" financial position.

Council leader Lord Peter Smith said: "It is always reassuring to have an entirely independent expert to review the things that we are doing. And to get such a positive endorsement from a district audit -- whose staff are notoriously challenging in their approach -- is a great tribute to the high quality of work done by officers and members alike."