The number of applications for jobs rose by more than 120% since South Cambridgeshire DC started a four-day week trial, a report has found.

Carried out by the universities of Salford, Bradford and Cambridge, the analysis revealed that the number of workers leaving fell by more than 40% and the quality of 21 out of 24 services improved or stayed the same.

The council said it no longer had to rely on agency workers, which has resulted in a yearly saving of nearly £400,000.

Council leader Bridget Smith said: ‘We started this innovative trial due to significant recruitment and retention challenges. These were particularly acute for us, having to compete with higher private sector pay in an area of high employment and housing costs.'