Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Rochdale Council has turned its library service into a virtual one to allow residents to access eBooks and audiobooks during lockdown.

Mike Flahery/Geograph UKCopyright: Mike Flahery/Geograph UK

Any Rochdale resident with a library card is able to use the service.

The service will be monitored by staff to provide residents with help on how to use the council's digital services.

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for libraries, said:

Quote Message: We have hundreds of top titles by famous authors available for people of all ages, as we continue to branch out and provide a library service to be proud of.

We have hundreds of top titles by famous authors available for people of all ages, as we continue to branch out and provide a library service to be proud of.

We reported earlier that Rochdale Council topped up "unhealthy" government food supplies for people most at risk from Covid-19.

Rochdale CouncilCopyright: Rochdale Council

It said the first delivery, received on Monday, consisted of chocolate bars, biscuits, cordial, teabags, noodles and an apple.

Council leader Allen Brett called on the government to improve them and claimed other areas are getting "more nutritionally balanced" ones.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has responded by saying the items were to supplement councils' provisions and "should not be confused with" its food boxes containing enough food for one person for a week it was delivering directly to vulnerable people.

A care agency has been criticised for compromising client safety by relying on WhatsApp messages rather than keeping their written records up to date.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The Care Quality Commission said B2B Independent Living, in Rochdale, has been rated as "requires improvement" following a recent inspection, which found its service was "not always safe".

It found using WhatsApp "distracted" staff from maintaining "accurate" and up-to-date client data such as medication records.

Agency bosses said they were "disappointed" by the findings - which they claimed came down to paperwork - but added they would take the comments on board.