COUNCIL chiefs say staff shortages led to a delay in producing a revised Racial Equality Scheme.

Cabinet committee members at Greenwich Council endorsed the updated scheme for 2005 to 2008 almost a year-and-a-half late.

The scheme lays out the council's plans to ensure discrimination is stamped out and racial equality is promoted.

It includes ensuring all communities can fairly benefit from services and improving ethnic representation in the workforce, particularly at senior level.

Director Makhan Bajwa, from the Greenwich Council for Racial Equality, says the delay in publishing the new scheme will slow progress.

He said: "The fact the scheme for 2005 to 2008 has only just been endorsed means there is only half the time to achieve the objectives.

"Only 17 per cent of the council workforce is from ethnic minorities and this needs to rise to 23 per cent to be proportionate with Greenwich's population make-up."

A Greenwich Council spokesman said: "There was a delay due to staff shortages."

The spokesman said the council has performed well in its duty to promote race equality despite the delay and is "meeting targets".

All public authorities are required to publish an Racial Equality Scheme by law.

The updated scheme was endorsed at a meeting on August 22.