THE Wiltshire Racial Equality Council has been labelled unfit for purpose after it was investigated by an independent consultant.

The damning report was commissioned by Wiltshire County Council, which provides much of the funding for the Trowbridge-based WiltsREC.

Concerns had been building about the effectiveness of the organisation culminating in the sudden departure of its director Joe Sang, last October.

Worried that its funding was not being used properly, the county council sent in an investigator to draw up a picture of the organisation.

Its main conclusion was that the WiltsREC was unfit for purpose and was not delivering on its promise of promoting equality of opportunity between people of different races in Wiltshire.

WiltsREC, based in Stallard Street, Trowbridge, has four staff including acting director Abdel Boutarfas, Carl Davis, the racial equality and community care officer, and Simon Bees who protects the interests of gypsies and travellers.

It has been given a copy of the report and asked to come up with an action plan for the future or face funding cuts.

Stephen Carey, its former chairman, who left two weeks ago to concentrate on outreach work in China, defended the WiltsREC.

He said: "The consultant's report was an accurate report of what we did under our previous director.

"Some of the gaps identified where we were judged not fit for purpose were things like legal advice which we are not funded to provide. We found the process of working with the consultant very beneficial."

Under acting director, Abdel Boutarfas, the WiltsREC is attempting to demonstrate its effectiveness by participating in the town's Black History Month celebrations, running a music project with young black people, providing an advocacy and referral service, giving English language lessons to women and their children and working with the NHS to provide services for black and minority ethnic people.

But the threat of swingeing cuts looms over the agency and its future is far from certain.

A Wiltshire County Council spokesperson said: "The report outlines areas for change and is now with Wiltshire Racial Equality Council and all of the partners to put together a possible action plan for the future."