CHECKS of food premises in York have fallen drastically behind target as worsening staff shortages have left City of York Council with too few qualified inspectors.

There are vacancies in four health protection and trading standards posts, and a vacancy for a food and health and safety manager remains unfilled after six months - a problem blamed on competitive salaries offered by neighbouring authorities.

The shortages mean that the department has been unable to reach targets set by the Government's Food Standards Agency.

The council is directing its existing resources into inspecting high-risk premises, such as slaughterhouses and butchers, while checks on low-risk premises, such as shops offering packaged food, are being deferred.

Now an extra £25,000 is being proposed in the council's budget to help recruit and retain the "right calibre" of staff.

Andy Hudson, assistant director of environmental protection and street services, said the problem had been building over the past few years.

He said: "The salaries in York are not competitive and we are having trouble appointing good-calibre professionally-qualified staff.

"Members have been aware of that and in the budget there are proposals to put money aside for recruiting and retaining staff.

"If we can't do an inspection one year it gets carried over to next year's target so we could, over a period of years, form a deficit that gets larger and larger.

"So to protect public safety we target the high-risk premises first."

Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Waller said not enough was being done. He said he planned to raise the issue at a planning and environment advisory panel meeting next Friday.

Coun Waller said: "It is vital for the city as a major tourist destination that we are able to maintain high levels of hygiene in our food outlets. It is in everyone's interests."

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, January 11, 2003