THERE is something deeply sick at the heart of Oxford City Council.

Its staff continue to have the worst sickness record in the county and there must be an underlying reason.

There is no real reason why it should be so significantly different to other councils in the county, apart from, we suspect, a deep lying dissatisfaction and demotivation amongst some staff.

That must be tackled because it is costing the taxpayer in lost productivity several hundred thousand pounds a year.

Leader Bob Price claims the Lib Dem estimate of £750,000 is “mythical”, but city council taxpayers are seeing less productivity for their money than others in Oxfordshire.

That cannot be allowed to continue.