“ I thought the service was one of the jewels in the crown and I was extremely proud that we were creating 66 permanent jobs for people living within our borough.”

Cllr Keats said high levels of sickness and absence from work, amounting to 1,500 days over 12 months, and residents saying they wanted wardens to work evenings had forced the council to make changes to wardens’ terms and conditions.

He said he was aware that negotiations were under way between the council and the unions and thought that threats of strike action showed the wardens’ opposition to the new terms and conditions.

But David Campion, also representing the wardens, said it was the council who had decided to defer the new terms, coming into effect on June 1, 2008.

Mr Campion said: “The wardens and the trade unions never told you they wouldn’t start on June 1. They never indicated to you that they wouldn’t commence work.”

He said Nick Kavanagh, the then Executive Director of Change and Transformation had failed to tell members that many wardens had already agreed to the new terms and conditions.

The tribunal continues.