Council staff in Wandsworth take less sick leave than most other local authorities and many private companies, according to a new study.

Last year council staff took an average of 5.5 days off sick, a figure that includes staff suffering from long term illnesses, according to the report, by the Confederation of British Industry.

The figures show a consistent improvement in sickness absence rates in recent years, down from an average of 7.7 days in the 2008/9 financial year.

These figures show that staff working for Wandsworth were outperforming many employees in the private sector where the average was 5.9 days.

The public sector average is 9.1 days per employee.

Council leader Councillor Ravi Govindia said "Staff who work in Wandsworth town hall deserve great credit for their continuing efforts to minimise sickness absence.

"My experience of staff in Wandsworth is that they have a strong commitment to provide the best quality service they can do the people of this borough. They will invariably always go the extra mile to make sure they meet residents’ expectations."