Bradford Council's budget slipped further into the red during December with the authority now expecting to overspend more than £1.53 million by the end of the financial year.

That figure is £351,000 more than it calculated a month ago when it expected to overspend by £1.179 million.

The authority's senior officers have been asked to find more than £3 million of savings so it did not blow its budget.

The big-spenders were again social services and environmental services, but the predicted overspend is in five main areas:

l £400,000 in the department for housing and regeneration because of a funding shortfall - a national problem

l £400,000 in social services, compared with £229,000 last month, due to increased spending pressures including speeded up ward closures

l £350,000 in human resources due to its budget being too small

l £200,000 in asset management because of reduced rental income and increased maintenance costs

l £680,000 in environmental services due to costs of street scene services, grounds maintenance and cleansing

In contrast the customer services department has saved £500,000 because of the delayed start of a new contact centre and savings in housing benefits services.

Councillor Kris Hopkins, the Council's executive member for corporate matters, said the target of saving more than £1.5 million by March is still achievable.

He said: "In years gone by we did not know what the overspend was until it was announced at the end of the year. This way we are able to react appropriately during the financial year rather than having to make some huge gesture at the end of it."

He said seasonal trends may be affecting the current spending in areas such as the care for the elderly and vulnerable.

He added: "It may not be that people have been less thrifty in the month, there may well be legitimate reasons. Let us get this in perspective - we have a budget of around £560 million and a variation this month of £300,000. As a percentage it is minor, but it is still unacceptable."

The figures will go before the Council's executive next Tuesday.