A BLACKBURN Council works department bid for a painting contract in the Ribble Valley was nine times higher than the lowest tender.

The council tendered a massive £97,804 to paint 59 dwellings at Billington Gardens, Billington.

The tender accepted by Ribble Valley Council's housing committee was £11,060 from Whalley firm Pollard and Foster.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.