by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Campaigners against the county council’s commercial actitivies have called for the early publication of an audit probe.

KCC Hands Off Business was formed following protests from businesses in recruitment, bus travel and landscaping about the level of competition from KCC Commercial Services.

The subsidiary runs businesses such as Kent Top Travel - a bus and coach operation that competes with private sector operators - and KentTop Temps, a recruitment agency that offers its services to third-party clients.

KCC also set up a building repair and maintenance operation called Inside Out. While KCC says that much of its work meets social, educational and internal needs, some of its activities compete head-on with the private sector and fuelled anger from business people in competing sectors.

Commercial Services accounts for some £300m turnover a year, contributing around £4m to KCC coffers.

Campaigners’ conerns prompted an Audit Commission inquiry, as well as face-to-face meetings between group members and KCC leader Cllr Paul Carter.

KCC has repeatedly defended its stance, claiming that profits reduce pressure on the council tax. However, in the past few months, there had been some evidence that KCC sensitivity to the problem has forced a slight easing back of its more aggressive entrepreneurial approach.Unconfirmed reports suggest that Inside Out has ceased trading.

It recently launched Kent Backing Business campaign that linked KCC with several businesses and business groups to proclaim support for the county’s firms during recession.

But campaign group member Desmond High cast doubt on the strategy. "If you’re not playing fairly then you are hardly supporting Kernt business," he said.

According to people familiar with the situation, the report is likely to give KCC a clean bill of health. But protestors claim that KCC has been given advance notice of the report and it should be in the public domain.

Mr High said it was important for the report to be published as soon as possible. "An independent party has been looking at it but that report isn’t available so how can we possibly judge? It’s been running for months but we haven’t seen it. If it’s so good, surely KCCwant to put it in the public domain as soon as they can. "

An Audit Commission spokesman said the report was due to be published in September. It may go KCC firar and be debated by councillors ahead of publication.