Members of Swindon Borough Council’s Conservative cabinet were very pleased at the report of the national watchdog, showing complaints against the authority are declining.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s report said that the watchdog had held up three complaints of 57 made against the council in 2017/2018.

And leader of the council David Renard was happy to see that the number of complaints had fallen.

He said: “This council is doing excellently. The number of complaints against us has gone down. This is an improvement on the previous year, but clearly we always want to do better.”

A report to cabinet made comparisons with nearby, similar-sized councils: While Swindon had three complaint upheld, at a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 people; Bath and North east Somerset Council had eight upheld, at 4.24 per 1000,000 and Reading five at a rate of 3.07

Councillor Keith Williams said: “Statistics show we have the lowest number of complaints in the South West.”

Deputy leader of the council Coun Russell Holland said: "I sometimes have to read Ombudsman reports in my professional life. I don't make light of the complaints - but they are at the lower end of seriousness of many of the complaints investigated."

Two of the complaint upheld had been made against Euclid Street’s Adult Care department, one was about care costs and another about a needs assessment for an adult with autism.

The cabinet member for adults Coun Brian Ford said: “I have read the details of the two of the complaints upheld against us. I am not at all complacent about it. Two is two too many."