A COMPANY that is paid £750,000 of taxpayers' money is not having the quality of its work checked, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Winchester City Council pay contractors Serco £74,000 a month to look after grounds across the city but don't bother to monitor how well they are doing.

Internal auditors have now highlighted the problem and said their findings show the company is failing to carry out its duties in basic areas. Auditor John Cummins reported: "The contractor is not meeting a number of fundamental contractual requirements.''

Mr Cummins said the most basic failing was that contractors were not collecting litter before grass cutting and so rubbish was simply being shredded and dispersed.

Serco's grounds maintenance manager has not been in thepost since February 2004. No programme of work has been drawn up and no checking takes place of the time taken to respond to complaints. The issue is set to become important with the grass growing season about to start in the spring.

The scrutiny committee is worried by the lack of checks. Committee chairman Fred Allgood said: "It is a concern that such a large amount of money is going out and noone seems to be checking. You cannot check every blade of grass is cut but you need to check that the work is being done properly.''

The committee has asked the Liberal Democrat-controlled cabinet to appoint one councillor to have responsibility for the multi-million annual budget with Serco.

Today Bill Welsh, manager at the Serco depot in Bar End, said efforts were being made to improve supervision.

"The grounds maintenance and landscape department has undergone a structural reorganisation to increase efficiency. There will be greater supervision in the field. The managers and supervisors have met the council and have allayed those previous concerns."