UNHAPPY people made a rising number of complaints about Kirklees Council last year.

Complaints to the Local Government Ombudsman shot up by 14%.

But the Ombudsman made no findings of maladministration, compared with three the previous year.

Disputes about planning decisions were one of the main reasons for the rising tide.

Housing was another major cause.

Kirklees Council today remained silent on the figures.

A spokeswoman would only say: "We don't wish to comment."

Sources said one reason for the increased complaints was greater awareness of the Ombudsman's role.

The new figures show 109 complaints about the council were dealt with by the watchdog in the year ended March 31.

It was a rise of 13 on the previous year.

Regional Ombudsman Patricia Thomas dismissed 84 cases as being without merit or outside her jurisdiction.

The remaining 25 were settled without a formal report having to be made.

The annual report by the country's three Local Government Ombudsmen said: "We achieved a wide spectrum of redress for citizens who complained to us."

* You must give the council the chance to look into the issue and reply.

* In general, Ombudsmen cannot look into something that happened more than 12 months previously.

* It cannot be something you could appeal about to a tribunal or a Government minister or go to court about.

* Maladministration is where a council made a mistake or took too long to deal with a matter - not because someone disagrees with a decision.

* The Ombudsman advice line is 0845 602 1983 and the website is www.lgo.org.uk