TV documentary reveals inner workings of Westminster Council

Six-part series goes behind the scenes to follow the day-to-day life of council staff

The inner workings of Westminster are set to be revealed in the first documentary series ever to focus on a single council.

The six-part series, which will be shown on Channel 5, follows Westminster Council staff as they go about their day-to-day jobs running the city.

London: The Inside Story features council employees as they clean up Soho’s illegal sex shops, host film premieres, organise funerals for Westminster’s forgotten residents and plan for the 2012 Olympics.

Rather than focusing on politicians and top level executives, the series follows parking wardens, street inspectors and pest control officers.

On one occasion a night out with street wardens ends with an impromptu pop concert in Leicester Square and council staff being offered hugs by over-enthusiastic tourists.

Westminster leader Cllr Colin Barrow said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to see just how much the council does and to give credit to all our staff who work so hard behind the scenes to make Westminster the vibrant and exciting place that it is.”

Jacqueline Trisk, series producer for the programme-makers Popkorn TV, said: “When you think of a council you imagine it consists of a lot of people going from one meeting to another, drowning in paperwork.

“The most fascinating thing for me has been getting behind the scenes and discovering a whole host of jobs that I never knew existed, from arranging funerals to eradicating bed bugs…and a lot more in between.”

The first episode will be shown tomorrow night (Tuesday November 8) at 8pm.