BLACKBURN with Darwen has come under fire for removing its main switchboard number from the face of its website.

Older People’s Forum chairman Brian Todd and Liberal Democrat Cllr Roy Davies said that it was now difficult for many people to contact borough staff with queries and complaints.

A council spokeswoman said: “The general enquiries number is on many official documentation and letters and also in the phone book. For specific enquiries, there are contact details on each subject on the website which makes enquiries quicker and easier.”

To find the main switchboard number 01254 585585 residents must go to A to Z of services, contact and then ‘main switchboard’. To access the numbers for individual services residents have to identify which service they need and then find ‘contact details’ on the website.

Not all the relevant details are currently available for every service.

Mr Todd said: “The main number needs to be clearly visible. Many older people are not good with IT.”

Cllr Davies said: “They should put the switchboard number back on the front of the website. This is too complicated for many residents of the borough.”

Key direct lines (all 01254) include: council tax - 585585; bins, recycling and rubbish 585921; adult social services 587547; children’s services 666400; and births, marriages and deaths registration 588660.