A DUNFERMLINE man says red tape means cash-strapped Fife Council is squandering £200 for equipment his disabled daughter needs.

The man, who didn’t want to be named, contacted the Press after becoming annoyed that he could source the kit for £105 when Fife Council was willing to shell out more than £300 for it.

He is now hoping common sense may prevail as officials are attempting to find a way round the situation.

“We live in a specialised adapted house for my daughter,” he explained.

“She cannot do things like turn a light on or open a window because of her condition and last year the social work department were great and said we could have a remote control to get it all to work.

“Since then, it has broken down twice and they came out and fixed but it is broken again and they have said it will be £325 to sort.

“I have been a computer engineer for over 30 years so when they told me that, I thought that can’t be right.

"I went online and within 10 minutes I had found better and more adaptable equipment for £105.”

He said he went onto social work, however, because of procedures, they weren’t able to just buy what he had suggested.

“I have tried to phone the chief executive officer of the council and the chief financial officer to get something done as this cannot be. 

“They cannot use common sense when I am saying this costs considerably less and two other people could be helped too.

"I don’t like waste and this really just annoys me as it doesn’t make sense.”

Since raising the issue, the man said a senior council official had been in contact and had even thanked him for his efforts in trying to save cash.

“It is one of those strange things where they all agree with me as it is just the procurement of the equipment and they are going to look at it.”

Fife Council’s divisional general manager Claire Dobson said they were trying to get the situation resolved.

“Fife Council funded this equipment as an innovative way of helping with a very particular issue,” she explained. 

“We have worked closely with the family to find this solution and we will continue to do so to resolve this matter.”