A FORMER leader of Worcester City Council has voiced his concern over 10,000 bailiff call-outs across Worcestershire - calling for an investigation.

Councillor Adrian Gregson, who used to lead the council when it was under Labour control for 12 months in 2013, said the rise shows "something is not working".

As your Worcester News revealed yesterday, during the last year councils across the county referred unpaid debts to bailiffs 10,299 times in 2014/15.

The figure is up 18 per cent in two years, with some startling increases on council tax referrals - which in Worcester rose 38 per cent.

Changes to benefits, the so-called bedroom tax and increased fraud are being put down to just some reasons for the hike.

Councillor Gregson said: "It's difficult to tell what it means - it might be more people are in debt and struggling to pay things off, maybe it's a sign a lot of people are not benefitting from the growth in the economy.

"But the use of bailiffs almost feels like a blunt instrument - I don't endorse people not paying their debts but a range of factors are involved.

"Overall, the fact the figures are up shows something is not working, either with the councils or something externally - and neither of those things are good.

"I would suggest the city council reviews its debt management system."

The six district councils across Worcestershire referred all sorts of debts to bailiffs including unpaid parking fines, business rates, housing benefit fraud and commercial rents.

A spokesman for the city council has called the use of bailiffs "a last resort for the recovery of debt" and urged people struggling to meet their bills to contact the authority to negotiate a payment plan.

Meanwhile the managing director of Wychavon District Council, Jack Hegarty, has defended his authorities record by insisting they do help the vulnerable.

In 2014/15 bosses in Wychavon referred debts to bailiffs 2,854 times, the second biggest figure in the county after Worcester.

Mr Hegarty said: "We know times are tough for some of our residents, which is why we are committed to doing all we can to support them.

"We helped more than 300 people through our welfare assistance scheme in 2014/15 through the allocation of vouchers to buy food, goods or other essentials.

"Together with the county council we have made another £98,000 available for this scheme this financial year."