MEMBERS of Rossendale Council are set to impose regular criminal records bureau (CRB) checks on themselves.

The council's cabinet has rubber-stamped an earlier decision that councillors should be CRB checked on a voluntary basis.

CRB checks highlight any current or previous criminal convictions that a person may have, including whether they are disqualified from working with children or other vulnerable people.

Councillors have called for a voluntary scheme for more than a year to avoid the council or members falling foul of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000.

Council leader Councillor Duncan Ruddick said: "This provides a further tool in preventing unsuitable people from working with children and other vulnerable persons. Without doing a CRB check, there is no way of knowing whether a councillor is disqualified.

"If a CRB check is not carried out, then the Council and individual risk prosecution."

Normally, the Act only affects councillors in unitary or county councils that deal with social services or education rather than borough or district councils such as Rossendale that do not have these responsibilities.

However, there are some instances where the council could fall foul of the Act such as a councillor being appointed a school governor when he or she may have been disqualified from working with children.

Rossendale Council is believed to be one of the first borough or district councils in the country to bring in a voluntary scheme of CRB checks.