Kingston Council will be unable to cope financially in a major emergency unless council reserves are increased, according to an independent auditor.

The councils cabinet was told on Tuesday night that more efforts had to be made to keep £2.5 million aside for a crisis.

The current reserve is around the £1.5 million mark but council officials are sure the next budget will bolster the council coffers without damaging vital services.

District auditor, Nick Ward, said: It is important for the authority to increase reserves to a sensible level.

If there were an emergency it would be difficult for the authority to react in a way that would seem appropriate at that time.

Ruling conservative councillors in the cabinet agreed that levels should be increased but argued that opposition councillors had prevented the current administration from implementing its preferred budget earlier this year, which led to the shortfall in the reserves.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Councillor Roger Hayes, was outraged at the suggestion.

He said: Building and maintaining reserves is a long-term business.

The Tories have been in control for three council budgets, so where is their strategy for doing this and maintaining and developing services over these years?

They are in control of the council. They have full access to the figures and the staff. They have no-one but themselves to blame for their failure to plan properly.

Conservative councillors and council officers believe the problem can be sorted in one year if the budget, due up in front of full council in the new year, is approved.

But as a hung council, the Conservative administration, which actually now has less councillors than the Liberal Democrats due to party defections, is completely at the mercy of its rivals.

By.David Rankin