A councillor is demanding answers after discovering more than 200 complaints have been lodged against local authority officers in the past two years.

Councillor Leah Fraser used Freedom of Information law to investigate the issue after earlier this year falling foul of the complexities of making a complaint against town hall bureaucrats.

She told the Globe: “At a time when one of the most controversial decisions by senior management was made regarding Fernbank Farm* a councillor was told there was no mechanism to make a complaint about the conduct of senior management.

“Now, six months later, we find out there is a procedure after all and that in the last two years more than 200 complaints have been lodged with the council.

“We now need to be told what those 200 complaints are about and what action has been taken to make sure it doesn’t happen again – and of course if any senior managers have been disciplined.

“It took a request using the Freedom of Information Act to find out how many complaints have been made. It’s time the senior management of this council started practicing what they are preaching to the rest of us.”

Joe Blott, strategic director for transformation and resources, said: “Any resident or councillor can make a complaint about any council service or individual officer if they are dissatisfied with the service they have received.

“We employ more than 5,000 staff and deliver a wide range of services so inevitably, from time to time, there will be residents or members who are unhappy.

“We take concerns extremely seriously and investigate all complaints that are made – this helps us to make any service improvements necessary.

“Investigation and disciplinary procedures are in place with any staff where that is appropriate.”

Mr Blott stressed that complaints over the period in question related to the entire workforce, not just senior officers.

He said: “The overwhelming majority of our staff work very hard to serve the people of Wirral and it is important to note that over the same period 716 compliments were also recorded and reported to members.”

*The court ruled in Wirral Council’s favour in a legal battle over repossession of land at the farm leased to Upton Park Pony Association.