A SERVICE that allows people who do not speak English to access council services is being underused in Darlington, officials have said.

Darlington Borough Council subscribes to Language Line, which provides a translator.

In the past year, council staff have communicated with people who speak various languages, including Kurdish, French, Swahili, Polish, Russian and Greek - with the majority being in Arabic and Sorani.

Any service provided by the council can access Language Line. Posters at every council reception desk help visitors explain what is their first language.

The member of staff then calls Language Line and is connected to a translator who helps the visitor to communicate their needs.

Councillor Don Bristow said: "Given the likely number of non-English speakers in Darlington, the service remains underused and the council is keen to improve take-up."

Language Line, which is best used for face-to-face translation, is available at all reception areas run by the authority.

For more information about the service, call (01325) 388715.