Local authorities must learn from the imposition of commissioners in Tower Hamlets and Rotherham, a select committee has warned.

The Communities and Local Government Committee said both councils had failed to take whistleblowers seriously.

It called for there to be proper checks and balances through scrutiny to ‘drive a culture of transparency and continuous improvement'.

Clive Betts MP, chair of the committee, said: ‘It is vital that the failings in Rotherham and Tower Hamlets, and the work done to address them are identified and shared so that similar issues can be addressed in other local authorities at an early stage to avoid them hitting rock bottom and having commissioners imposed upon them.

‘The DCLG [Department for Communities and Local Government] and LGA [Local Government Association] clearly have important role to play in this, but local authorities must also take responsibility themselves for seeking out and sharing this best practice.

‘The DCLG must carefully examine what worked and what could have been done better with these interventions so that the process can be improved for possible future cases.'