BURY'S social services boss has hit out at the borough's Tory MPs over the department's cash crisis.

Committee chairman Coun John Costello says Alistair Burt and David Sumberg should be fighting for more money for Bury rather than blaming social services.

The MPs, in last week's Bury Times, said Bury had been generously treated with community care money, and wondered why the department was in deep financial trouble now.

But Coun Costello said: "Mr Burt did not say it was the same level of funding since 1993, and demand has increased since then.

"Where has he been for the last twelve months?" he added. "Warnings have been brought to this committee about underfunding, we have introduced measures to cope, but I warned that this would be the outcome."

Social services have been accused of "bed blocking", causing old folk to remain in hospital because the department doesn't have the money to pay for places in residential homes.

Coun Costello also refuted suggestions from Bury South MP David Sumberg that Bury was "not working effectively" to find old people a bed.

"It's Mr Sumberg who is not working hard enough to ensure the funding that is needed," said Coun Costello.

"Social services have demonstrated very clearly their ability to respond positively to the challenge of community care, keeping people in their own homes and in the community."

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