BLACKBURN with Darwen Borough Council's partnership with outsourcing company Capita has hit the ten-year mark.

The council signed a 15-year deal worth £210million in July 2001 with Capita, which employs over 1000 people at offices in Blackburn town centre and at India Mill in Darwen.

Graham Burgess, chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "Like authorities across the country we are working with much tighter budgets.

"Innovation and delivery are part of the culture here and our nationally recognised high quality services will help keep us at the leading edge of public services."

John Slee, partnership director of Capita, added: “At the time when we began this partnership with Blackburn with Darwen, it was one of the largest of its kind.

"Looking back at what has been achieved and also at what we have planned for the future, we know that tangible benefits can be brought to a community through dedicated and long-term partnership arrangements.”