THE target for reducing average staff sickness days at Blackburn with Darwen council is set to be missed.

Borough resources boss Coun Andy Kay admitted that he was unlikely to meet his aim for the year 2013/2014.

He told the executive board of the council last week that so far the average number of days off per employee for the first nine months of the year had reached 7.38.

This made the 8 days target for the full 12 months unrealistic.

Coun Kay added that the council was still on course to better last year’s figure of 11.35 days per staff member.

Highlighting the failure, borough Tory leader Coun Mike Lee asked how the target had been missed and what was being to done to improve the council’s staff sickness record.

Coun Kay said this year’s performance was likely to better the North West average and improve the borough’s performance compared to other local authorities in the region.

He said management information systems were being improved.