A RULE book telling county council officers which words they are now banned from using has been published in a bid to make the authority more popular with the public.

Lancashire County Council's 32-page guide has been sent out to all officers and sets out rules on how to write letters in plain English.

The guide was today welcomed by the Plain English Campaign, which fights to get jargon banished, but it did say that in a perfect world it would all be common sense.

However, one MP claimed it was a waste of money and would do the county council's reputation more harm than good.

Words which have been commonplace in county council documents for decades have now been consigned to the history books.

The Guide to Clear Writing was approved by members of Lancashire County Council's cabinet on Tuesday and also includes an example of an old-style LCC letter with the improved version.

Staff are also advised to ditch long paragraphs and advice on punctuation can also be found. Negative phrases are out, with officers urged to point the positives in all circumstances. Latin words and phrases, such as ad hoc and modus operandi, are out as well as foriegn words. Cliches are banned and capital letters should be kept to a minimum.

Job titles should no longer have capital letters, but Coun, the abbreviation of councillor, should.

It is part of a larger communications strategy, designed to improve people's opinion of the council by shouting about what it does well. Formats for posters and leaflets produced by the county council have also been sent out, ensuring the authority's logo appears on everything it does.

County councillor Marcus Johnstone, a former journalist who is in charge of communications at Lancashire County Council, said: "This is a route-map towards better communication. We want to demystify the council and get rid of the jargon. This won't sit on a shelf and gather dust. It will be used day in, day out, across the council to help us communicate with people.

"It is not about dumbing down, it is about presenting ourselves in the best possible way."

A spokesman for the Plain English Campaign said: "It should be common sense, but we are pleased a council is taking this step.

"If someone is unhappy with the language used by a business, they can change the business they use, but people tend to be stuck with a council. It is a positive step."

But Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "This is a pathetic waste of time and energy. They should know what to do - it isn't rocket science.

"People want good services for a decent council tax rate. Getting that right would win the council more plaudits than some useless guide"