Communities secretary Eric Pickles has opened up a new front in his campaign to force a recalcitrant Nottingham City Council to make details of its spending available, urging the city's residents to use their legal rights to enter council offices and physically inspect accounts and receipts.

Addressing Conservative Home's innovation and improvement in local government conference, Mr Pickles said moves to get all councils – with the exception of Nottingham – to publish spending above £500 online'is empowering a new army of armchair auditors to drive out waste.'