LOCALISED versions of the council's monthly newsletter have been called for - to give residents more 'relevant' information about their neighbourhoods.

Redbridge Life, which cost more than £175,000 to produce last year, should focus on issues affecting specific areas of Redbridge rather than just borough-wide news, according to Labour councillor Bob Littlewood.

Speaking at a meeting of the full council at Ilford Town Hall last night (Thursday), Mr Littlewood said the content of the publication should not just be used to promote what the council was doing.

He said: "How about a South Woodford Redbridge Life for example.

"There should be more information that's relevant to people on a local level."

Council leader Keith Prince said he was "a big fan" of Redbridge Life, and would look into the possibility of increasing its local content.

Newspaper groups had complained to the Audit Commission that council newsletters provided 'unfair' competition for readers and advertising at a time of unprecedented financial strain for the industry.

But their hopes that the Government would introduce new restrictions on the publications appeared to be dashed last month when the Commission's chief executive, Steve Bundred, said the money being spent on them was 'not unreasonable' and that they were not published frequently enough to threaten advertising revenue for local papers.

He added, however, that councils should ensure their newsletters are "good value" for taxpayers.

Redbridge Council claims the publication plays an important role in fulfilling the authority's legal duty to keep residents and businesses informed about the services and support available to them - as well as issues that affect their community.