COUNCILLORS have agreed a new way of employing temporary workers which will save a quarter of a million pounds a year.

The number of recruitment agencies used to find clerical and care staff has been slashed from 50 to one after costs of more than £2m were identified by Town Hall accountants.

Clr Fiona Bruce, Warrington Borough Council board member for Value for Money, described the 15 per cent saving as significant' and said more could follow after job agency Comensura was awarded the contract.

Clr Bruce (LD-Penketh) said she had been astonished at the number of different companies the council had been using under the previous Labour regime.

"The council had been dealing with more than 50 separate recruitment agencies and leaving it up to individual managers to negotiate with them," she said.

"I find that absolutely unbelievable.

"This is a £2million pound contract so it is a key decision."

The meeting of the borough council's executive board on Monday heard that Adecco, DePoel and Reed were the other recruitment agencies that submitted bids in an e-auction'.

When Comensura can't supply staff directly itself it will negotiate on the council's behalf the best rates with other agencies.

Town Hall bosses hope the new deal will see contract terms become more universal, reduce the number of pay transactions and therefore cut costs.