Labour pour money down the drain!

3.34.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 31st Mar 2010

Labour run Manchester City Council has run out of drain grid covers after a spate of thefts.

In 2008 the local Lib Dems called on the council to proactively replace the metal drain covers with non-metal ones, which have no scrap value. This was because the metal ones kept being stolen for scrap. The Lib Dems said that the metal ones should be replaced by the council - allowing the scrap value to be used for council services instead of going to the thieves who were stealing them. The Labour Councillor in charge refused to do this at the time, saying that it would be too much trouble. However, the thefts have continued and the City Council have now admitted that they have run out of drain covers completely, leaving drains in the area open and a danger to pedestrians and motorists. The Council has an annual budget for replacing stolen metalwork of £15,000. Last year that budget was overspent by £105,000!

Local Lib Dem campaigner Bill Fisher said:

"The Labour Council should have listened to sense and proactively replaced the metal drain covers with non-metal ones, which have no scrap value. That way they would have raised money to spend on vital local services and would have stopped these thefts, which cause a danger to local people. Instead, Labour have pursued a policy of running round after the thieves replacing the covers only after they have been stolen. Now they have run out of covers and are stuffing open drains full of traffic cones. It's just crazy!"

John Leech MP added:

"This situation is both farcical and dangerous. The City Council don't think that they need to claim back £425,000 from other councils yet they have overspent on replacing stolen metalwork to the tune of over £100,000 last year and now because they didnt have the foresight to replace metal grids with plastic ones its cost the Manchester tax payers even more!"