SOUTH Ribble's chief executive, Philip Halsall, has come out of Africa, bringing tales of poverty and deprivation.

Mr Halsall was invited to the Helderberg Municipalities, near Cape Town, to implement an action plan for better housing and living standards.

The trip, organised by the Shoulder to Shoulder initiative, involved a handful of local authority executives. They were asked to help the newly-formed councils improve the standard of living.

For Mr Halsall, the visit was an experience he will never forget.

He said: "The state in which some of the people were living is something which has to be seen to be believed. It would stun anybody.

"There were families living in shacks which wouldn't even pass for garden sheds in this country. It made me feel very lucky to live here." He added: "Hopefully, we will be able to arrange for members of their community to visit us in the near future so they can see how we work.

"It would also be good for our community because it will give locals the chance to find out about other cultures."

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