The number of people complaining about Kent County Council services has increased by 17 per cent, according to official figures.

In 2008-09, the authority dealt with 2,394 formal complaints - nearly 350 more than the previous year.

Grumbles about residential care, the salaries paid to senior officers and the £50million at risk in Iceland all pushed up the overall total.

KCC says one reason for the increase is because it has made it easier for residents to complain about services.

Cllr Roger Gough (Con), cabinet member for corporate support services, said: "KCC has been very active in informing people that they can complain if they are not happy with the services they receive.

"We have also given the public more ways to complain, including online, phone and face to face."

How the complaints break down:

• The biggest increase recorded was in complaints about residential care, where adult social services received 526 complaints, 126 more than the previous year. There were a further 133 complaints about services for older people;
• One of the largest increases in complaints was seen in the chief executive's department - where the number more than trebled, rising to 143 from 44 the previous year. Nearly half were related to the salaries paid to KCC's most senior staff, the £50million at risk in Icelandic banks and support for asylum seekers;
• Twelve complaintswere made about Kent TV;
• There were 421 complaints made about roads, the environment and planning - with issues about waste recycling centres and country parks topping the list;
• The largest single number of complaints received was in the communities directorate, which is responsible for libraries, the youth service and sports and leisure and community wardens. There were nearly 800 complaints compared to 521 the previous year. KCC says as a result of concerns about libraries, it made 226 changes in local libraries;
• Complaints to the local government ombudsman - the council watchdog - also went up with an increase to 164 from 148 in 2007-2008.

The council has pointed out that the social services and the libraries departments received 463 and 1,361 compliments over the same period.

Read Paul Francis' political blog here>>>

Figures also suggest KCC is taking longer to deal with the complaints. According to the ombudsman, the council took more than five weeks on average to respond compared to about four in 2007-2008.

Cllr Gough added: "We look very closely at these complaints to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We will also use them to help us improve how we deliver our services."