Wirral Conservative Councillor Cllr Chris Blakeley recently wrote an article on his Blog highlighting another article in the Liverpool Echo revealing how much money Merseyside Local Authorities have spent on employing private detectives to “snoop on the people of Merseyside”, the title of the article on Cllr Blakeley’s Blog "No Hiding Place" sums up perfectly his view on this subject.

Reading the piece in the Echo it becomes clear that Wirral Borough Council spent a mere £2800 investigating injury claims.

This is important because of eye watering insurance excesses, Wirral Borough Council in common with most other large organisations is largely self insured, ie when a claim is lodged against the Council in the majority of cases it is Council Tax Payers who pick up the bill not the Council’s insurers, in fact the money the Council had to put aside to meet claims in 2004/5 was £5.7 Million, which of course impacts on the Council’s ability to deliver front line services such as Social Care

Since 2005 however claims against the Council have been more thoroughly challenged, which is where our private detectives come in. the result of this policy has resulted in over £3.8 Million being made available to invest back into public services such as Social Care. This Document makes a very interesting read.

I think that Cllr Blakeley should make it clear to his constituents and every other Council Tax Payer in Wirral whether he supports Wirral Borough Council’s efforts in reducing spurious claims against Council Tax Payers or does he believe that Council Tax Payers should just pay out millions to everyone who puts a claim in?