Hi-tech fear over hackers

The fear that hi-tech hackers might access the information on council computers was among a number of issues raised in a risk assessment report.

The enforced closure of Oswestry's ageing leisure centre and a failure in the council's information technology sys- tems were also highlighted as real possibilities for the coming year.

The concerns have been raised in a risk management report to the council.

In the report, Mark Taylor, council finance officer, said the 30-year-old leisure centre has already had to close temporarily twice.

"Failure through age of the leisure centre occurred during September 2006," he said. "The centre was forced to close on two occasions as a result of the failure of the roof."

He said work continued on the Oswald Park project to build a new leisure and healthy living centre.

The new risk to the authority was Mr Taylor said, from information technology. "Due to the increasing complexity of the viruses and tools available to hackers the likelihood that some disruption will occur is increasing," Mr Taylor said in his report.

"Work continues to minimise the effects but the impact of loss of this service will become even more critical as more business is done via the web."

The possible failure of Shropshire Waste Partnership to find an external partner and the failure of the council to meet the decent homes standard were other potential risks, along with any problems in the handover of the council's new offices.

The council's cabinet will debate the way it handles risks at a meeting next month.