A COUNCIL chief executive has urged taxpayers to avoid contacting its call centre during a day of industrial action.

Tens of thousands of public sector workers are expected to take part in co-ordinated strikes - over pay, conditions and cuts - on Thursday (July 10).

Ada Burns, chief executive of Darlington Borough Council, has urged residents in the town to avoid contacting the council's contact centre with non-urgent inquiries.

She said: "Our customer contact centre will be open, but operating on skeleton staff. so please avoid visiting or calling unless your request is urgent.

"Refuse collections should take place as normal.

"However, if your bin is not collected, please take it in and it will be emptied on your next scheduled collection."

For a full list of council services in Darlington affected by the industrial action, visit darlington.gov.uk/publicalerts