A high-powered team will move into City Hall on Monday for a "warts and all" look at how Britain's fourth biggest Metropolitan Council is handling its work.

The Council - which has asked for the inspection - will then be marked against the criteria of a 'model' council and its strengths and weaknesses will be highlighted

But today, the leader of the Council's Tory group Councillor Margaret Eaton said she believed skeletons may remain in the cupboards during the inspection by the Improvement and Development Agency.

She said: "I hope they will open the doors completely, because if they don't, this inspection will be of no benefit to us. I hope it isn't just a PR exercise."

The agency - which used to be the Local Government Management Board - checks local authorities across Britain.

The team inspecting Bradford will include the Chief Executive of Lewisham Council, Barry Quirke; leader of Basildon Council, Keith Bobbin; Lesley Courcouf, a senior officer with Essex County Council, and Masood Ahmed, of Kirklees Racial Equality Council.

The team will talk to scores of people, including councillors from all parties, officers, community, voluntary and business organisations and the Telegraph & Argus. At the end of the week there will be a feedback session when the review team will highlight any gaps in performance, recommend necessary action and offer the Council practical support and advice on improvements.

The Council has asked for the review following its award of Beacon Status by the Government last year.

Council Leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "This is an independent examination of what we do and how we do it.

"It should help us to identify what improvement we should make if we are going to provide a more effective and efficient standard of service to the people of the district over the coming years."

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