EPPING Forest District Council chiefs are launching a crackdown on internet use after an audit of web usage revealed staff have been trying to visit "inappropriate" sites.

The authority has now drawn up a new Internet Usage Policy which details what type of websites are banned.

A council report reveals that an internal audit of internet use has shown that some council staff spend "a large amount of time" surfing' the internet with "an unacceptable amount of work time being wasted as a result of this".

Last year the council installed new audit software which can report on the levels of internet usage in greater detail than has been possible previously. The software will also report on any attempts made to access inappropriate internet sites (which are blocked using internet security software).

The report, which will be discussed at the next cabinet meeting on Monday, September 4, adds: "Some staff have used council internet access to try to visit sites which are inappropriate because of their content. This is of particularly serious concern.

"At the request of the management board, the Head of ICT and the chief internal auditor have revised the internet policy, in particular to make clearer the guidelines on acceptable usage in personal time.

"There are also clear guidelines on the potential implications for employees who breach the policy. It is proposed that all members of staff with access to the internet will be required to sign up to the revised policy in lieu of which internet access rights could be withdrawn."

The council says it recognises the benefits that internet use brings and it encourages the continued use of the internet to assist staff in their work.

The report adds: "It is also prepared to permit staff to use the facilities for their personal use in their own time, and subject to this facility not being abused. The expectation would be that such use would normally be before or after work or at lunchtimes."

The council has said it is also going to revise its e-mail and telephone policies.