BEACH hut tariff harmonisation, re-profiling and a tri-annual revaluation exercise.

If we've lost you already then you have no hope of making it through a council document written by Borough of Poole officers as these are just some of the phrases they have used in recent reports.

Just to make it clear "beach hut harmonisation" means a single price tariff for beach hut rents, "re-profiling" is delaying the spending of money and "tri-annual revaluation exercise" refers to an analysis of pension contributions which took place three times last year.

Now BOP has been told to "drain the swamp" of obscure language which would leave most readers completely flummoxed.

"Thanks to the confusing and jargon - splattered language used, Borough of Poole appears to have become a swamp of impenetrable nonsense," said Steve Jenner, media spokesman for the Plain English Campaign.

"Delaying spending money on a project becomes the 're-profiling of £1.5million', a classic use of inappropriate and misleading euphemism, or to put it another way, 'weasel words'."

"In a later statement, 'the council had mitigated its risk of challenge'. Well, good for the council. It's a shame it hasn't done the same in the way it uses language."

Then of course there is the following baffling statement on a council tax increase decision:"That the chief finance officer provides council with a schedule setting out the rate of council tax for each category of dwelling subject to the 4.99 per cent increase in council tax considered by cabinet for approval by full council further to members’ consideration of the decision required."

"I defy anyone to have sufficient will to struggle through the statement and emerge on the other side of it with any sense of meaning," added Mr Jenner.

"Indeed, I'd be surprised if any reader would complete this sentence with anything other than a sense of annoyance and frustration."

He is urging the council to "drain the swamp" when it comes to jargon.

"How can people in the area be expected to take local democracy seriously when their right to plain and clear English in public documents is being denied in such an appalling way," he added.

"The Plain English Campaign calls upon Borough of Poole to drain the swamp, or prepare to drown in a sea of jargon and unreadable public documents."

BOP council leader Janet Walton has said she will ask officers to try and use plainer English when it comes to council documents and reports.

"It's that difficult line between making sure it is legally correct and appropriate and at the same time making it clear for the public," she added.

"I know during my time as a councillor other members and I have asked if officers can make things more clear in reports.

"We have worked over the years to try and make things plainer and more easily understandable but maybe more needs to be done.

"But we need to be able to make our public understand what we are talking about so they don't feel that the wool is being pulled over their eyes - which it is not."