John Healey, the Cabinet's Housing Minister, has described local authorities as the "unsung heroes" of the recession. He revealed in an interview that many in Whitehall are sceptical of councils’ ability to deliver on issues such as local housing, but said he had much greater confidence in them.

Eastbourne borough council has come under fire from local residents for selling personal information from the electoral register. The council has explained that it is required to do so by the government, with the councillor responsible agreeing that the practice was "disgraceful".

Martin Bell, the anti-corruption campaigner, has confirmed that he won’t stand against Salford MP Hazel Blears at the next election. He said the candidate needs to be a well-known local hero.

A £9.3m council scheme in Birmingham to cut obesity by offering free access to swimming pools and gyms has hit a hurdle, after a local councillor was made to pay just weeks after it started. The 'Be Active' scheme is the biggest project of its kind in Europe, but it seems many leisure centre staff members are not even aware of it.

A parish councillor in Somerset has upset villagers by not keeping his pigs under control. The animals escaped from the badly-fenced area they were being kept in and left a graveyard looking like a "ploughed field" in their search for food.