KENT County Council is heralding the opening of a call centre as the start of an era in which residents will be able to have access to council services round the clock.

It has just become one of the first local authorities in Britain to have full 24-hour call centre contact with residents.

It means people having trouble sleeping or those who work shifts can, if they choose, easily renew library books or report a pothole in the road that needs urgent attention.

It is also promising callers that they will speak to people, rather than be pushed around a complicated system of pushing buttons and messages.

The contact centre, manned and operated from the centre of Maidstone, has even been given a number which reflects KCC’s availability – 08458 247247.

Council Leader Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: “People now expect services to be available 24 hours a day. It is the way of the modern world. Anyone in Kent can now contact a friendly voice for help at the county council round the clock.”

“We have deliberately avoided recorded messages, long winded automatic push button instructions and music. Instead real people, keen to help, answer the calls.”

Kent’s new contact centre has been fully operational since the beginning of April and will make maximum use of technology to build the number of tasks that can be performed for residents over the phone.

Cabinet Member for Resources Kevin Lynes added: “We have a state-of-the-art system with the ability, for instance, to blend emails with calls. Everything is designed to help residents receive a top notch, round the clock and very human service.”