Council bosses have ended the year in the red - despite a tough new regime where they were carpeted by senior councillors.

Bradford Council directors are likely to have overspent by £4.4 million by the end of this month in spite of being told by the Executive Committee to tighten their purse strings.

But the Council will meet the anticipated overspends of Social Services and Education, totalling £2.981million and £1.030 respectively.

But the Council's director of marketing and communications Owen Williams will pass the year-end overspent by £212,000 which he will be forced to recoup over the coming year.

Mr Williams reported the overspend last November but said his new department set up in April last year had inherited a £144,000 salaries overspend.

The Executive Committee will be told by director of finance Steve Morris that there is a £100,000 deficit on the books of the building maintenance department because it has failed to meet its targets. Mr Morris says every effort is being made to break even by the end of this month, however.

David Kennedy, assistant chief executive in charge of the regeneration and environment section is also expected to be £168,000 in the red. The executive committee is being advised by Mr Morris to allow Mr Kennedy's departments to carry the overspend over and claw it back next year, however.

But the message to top officers across the Council from deputy council leader Councillor Richard Wightman is that the stringent measures to keep budgets in line will continue and there will be no softening up.

The latest projection for Social Services shows the anticipated overspend has dropped by £11,000.

Coun Wightman said a main reason for the failure to stay within the budget was the increased costs of providing places in homes outside the authority for children in care.

But an action plan has been implemented with improved methods of finding the places.

He said the education over spend was brought about by a commitment made on special educational needs before the transfer of the service to Education Bradford.

Coun Wightman said: "It is our aim through effective financial planning to wipe out unauthorised spending and maximise the value of our services to the people who use them."

But deputy leader of the Labour group, Councillor Barry Thorne, said Council Tax payers were being hit because the year was ending with over spending which the Council had not kept under control.

He said: "I think there are things which haven't been obvious from the figures. For one thing I haven't been able to find out the full cost yet of the Council management restructure."

He said the Labour group would discuss the finance report implications at a meeting before the executive committee.