“IT simply did not work.”

Those are the words of a council leader whose authority tried wholesale outsourcing – and decided it was not the way forward.

Speaking to the BBC, Mark Bee, leader of Suffolk County Council, said: “We found it just simply did not work.

“In trying to do it so quickly, we were not taking communities along with us.”

His warning comes at a time when Bournemouth Borough Council continues to battle opposition against its outsourcing deal with troubled firm Mouchel.

The company already runs four of the council’s departments and there are plans to add two more to this – despite Mouchel’s ongoing financial problems.

Cllr Bee added: “I think in local government there are lessons that we can always learn from the private sector.

“But I think we have to be realistic that if you’re going to do it, you have to do it at a pace that you take people along with you, but also realistic that not everything is going to be able to be outsourced.”

Last week it was revealed that Mouchel was £87million in debt and was selling its rail business to an Australian rival – the first of what are expected to be many moves to cut its owings.

Prior to that, as council bosses considered handing more services to the company, a senior officer was suspended for raising concerns with councillors via email.

Stephen Parker warned of ‘serious doubts about the value for money and deliverability of the contract’.

Council chiefs have said that the authority’s contract with Mouchel gives them the option to reconsider the deal should the company be taken over.