Almost 170 complaints about Brent Council were forwarded to the local government ombudsman (LGO) last year, according to the latest figures.

The LGO is considered the ‘final stage’ for complaints against local authorities and covers a range of subjects including adult social care, housing and children’s services.

The number of complaints about Brent in 2017/18, at 168, was the seventh-highest across London, and, of its neighbouring boroughs, only Barnet (169) received more.

Of the complaints, 33 were examined in detail by the LGO, with around two-thirds being upheld following an investigation.

The council explained that it still tries to resolve as many issues as possible through its own two-tiered system before the LGO is involved.

Cllr Margaret McLennan, deputy leader of Brent Council, said: “We want the best for Brent residents and strive to do our utmost for them but, in acknowledging the pressures that we are under with less funding, increasing demand for our services and other challenges put upon councils, we also acknowledge that as human beings, we sometimes get it wrong and in such cases we’re always happy to hold our hands up and say sorry.

“Receiving complaints is not only a chance for us to make amends if we are at fault, but also an opportunity to review and improve our services, so the feedback is always very welcome.

“But, where possible, I’d always encourage anyone to come to the council with their complaint first, as it will help us to bring about a speedier resolution to the matter, which is what we all want.”

In Brent, most of the issues concerned housing, followed by highways and transport, adult social care, and tax and benefits.

The LGO stats showed that, across London, most complaints were about Newham Council (226), while, at the other end of the scale, there were just 54 complaints lodged against Kingston Council.