BOSSES at a Gwent council are drafting in specialised outside help in a bid to stop bullying and harassment at work.

As reported in yesterday's Argus, allegations of bullying and harassment of staff at Torfaen council are on the up, according to the council's own employee survey - completed in 2004.

Of the 758 staff who took part , 23 per cent - around 174 said they had felt bullied or harassed at work by their managers or colleagues. That's a seven per cent (their figure) increase on the last survey in 2002.

Torfaen council's chief executive, Alison Ward, has vowed to "root out" the bullies.

At a special scrutiny meeting yesterday, head of personnel services and standards Peter Durkin told councillors the findings were "upsetting" and he warned them the council could lose its prized Investors in People quality mark if the problem went unchecked.

Of the 82 staff who responded from the chief executive's department, 60 per cent - around 49 - said they felt bullied.

Mr Durkin said: "We spend a lot of time responding to allegations of bullying and harassment.

"We take a robust view when allegations - on the balance of probabilities - are found to be accurate and there are a number of senior managers who have left us when this was the case.

"We need to be sure this is an accurate response. I think it is." Monmouthshire, Newport and Blaenau Gwent have all carried out similar staff surveys within the last two years.

Mr Durkin sounded a cautionary note on the survey's low turnout, saying only 20 per cent of the 3,885 employees targeted had responded. He said employees and trade unions would be working with an independent facilitator to get to the bottom of the issue and find solutions.

Management would not be present at the sessions, he said.

Councillor Gwilliam Evans called the report "damning", and said he was "startled" by the findings.

Chairman of the resources overview and scrutiny committee, Councillor Aneurin James said: "I would hope that each executive member addresses the findings in their own department."

Unison secretary for Torfaen, Tom Sexton, said the union would be working with the council to "stamp out" the problem of bullying and harassment.