TOWN hall bosses are "mystified and extremely disappointed" that Bury has failed to become one of the country's first "super councils".

The town's pioneering community safety warden scheme has been knocked back in its bid to awarded beacon council status.

The project, in which Bury plays the leading role in the country, has been personally lauded by Tony Blair.

But not even praise from the PM and other authorities across Europe has been enough.

Beacon status recognises a council's achievements in certain areas, and effectively creates "centres of excellence" which show other councils the way forward. Ultimately, they may be given extra powers to raise local taxes and try out new projects.

Bury had hoped to gain the status under the community safety category. Working with police and town centre shops, the wardens have been widely applauded for their work in reducing crime. Mr Dennis Taylor, council chief executive, said that around 90 councils bid for beacon status in that category and only five had achieved it, but he still expected Bury to be among the successful ones.

"I'm quite staggered to see that it didn't get beacon status. We don't know why, there are no reasons given," he said.

"We sent a video and a CD of the scheme to the Prime Minister and other ministers. And when the PM visited Manchester recently his office asked for two of our wardens to come along. It is regarded as a flagship scheme." Mr Taylor said that Bury was recognised by British and European councils as the forerunner of the scheme. Bury has been chosen to chair the national steering committee on community safety while, ironically, Mr Blair's own constituency of Sedgefield is deputy chair.

"I'm mystified and extremely disappointed, but we have just got to accept that a committee in London didn't give us the green light," said Mr Taylor. "Beacon status would have been very encouraging for the team, but it will not affect the work we are doing by one iota."

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