A COUNCIL leader today pledged improvements after an inspection concluded that it must try harder in several key areas.

A team of top-level auditors arrived in Burnley last week to carry out a fundamental review of council services.

The week-long inspection was part of the council's efforts to improve its functions after being criticised in a report into last year's riots.

It was carried out by the Improvement and Development Agency.

The preliminary findings show that, while the council has improved since last year, it still needs to improve its leadership, partnership working, public confidence and focus on customers and resources.

Council chief executive Gillian Taylor said: "This has been an important exercise for the council.

"It is helping us to really focus on the issues that matter.

"There is an energy and commitment across the council to use these findings to make a real difference to how we deliver services."

Council leader Stuart Caddy added: "No one is complacent about the task we have ahead of us.

"While the review team commented positively on much of the work we have done, we want to focus on the difficult issues that we need to change.

"We are determined to improve and this review is a huge step towards that goal."

The review team spent a week meeting and talking with members of the general public and representatives from other organisations as well as a cross-section of elected members and staff. The Task Force report into the cause of the Burnley riots last year criticised the council for a lack of an overall strategy for the town and weak civic leadership.

Janie Barrett, lead officer of the review team, said: "The overall finding of the team is of a positive-thinking council.

"This has been demonstrated by them inviting us to look at how the council is run and how it serves the community."

A full report of the team's findings will be produced in the next six weeks.

The council will then produce its own improvement plan.