AT least 70 per cent of calls made by the public to West Somerset Council “are going to the wrong place”, Minehead residents have been told.

Cllr Martin Dewdney, the council’s environment lead, was speaking at the annual town meeting on Tuesday.

Residents had complained that they had trouble getting through to council departments, and the meeting heard that the council’s housing crisis office was only open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm.

One resident said: “You just can’t get hold of anyone in an emergency. People are very concerned that when there are emergency problems which have made people homeless, there is no-one to deal with them outside these very limited hours.”

District council leader Cllr Anthony Trollope-Bellew, who was at the meeting, said: “The opening hours of the housing crisis office are news to me,” and added that he would immediately look into the matter.

Minehead Chamber of Commerce chairman Alex de Mendoza said the council communication problems went across many issues.

But Cllr Trollope-Bellew said that the proposed transformation process to reorganise local government procedures, should correct many of the problems.

“Hopefully, people will be better looked after,” he said.

Cllr Trollope-Bellew told the Free Press on Wednesday that, from his inquiries, he could assure people needing emergency housing help that this could be obtained at any time seven days a week.

A countywide out-of-office service was available on 01823 351411. Help could also be obtained from the West Somerset Advice Bureau (01643 704624)