Council bosses say no-win no-fee lawyers are making their work to give staff equal pay more difficult.

The Local Government Employers (LGE) have told the BBC that the number of people taking their cases to lawyers is slowing down the process, as many are taken to lengthy tribunals.

Jan Parkinson, managing director of the LGE, told the BBC: "Councils have been hamstrung in their ability to deliver on equal pay agreements as no-win no-fee lawyers have been holding up the process for many years.

"No-win no-fee lawyers have not served any useful purpose and instead have clogged up the tribunal system causing severe delays to claims and cost taxpayers more money in bureaucracy."

However, lawyers say that they only get involved in cases when a client's agreement is not satisfactory.