COUNCILLORS have defended their decision to grant themselves a whopping 15.8 per cent rise in their basic allowance - despite the advice of an independent panel to raise it by only 5.8 per cent.

The increase agreed by Chester-le-Street district councillors was condemned by Lib Dem Councillor Philip Nathan, who with Independent Councillor Jackie Proud voted against his colleagues.

Coun Nathan said members had ignored the advice of the Independent Renumeration Panel and the increase was "unreasonable and unnecessary".

But Council Leader Councillor Linda Ebbatson (Lab) rejected this and said councillors should not be left worse off for deciding to serve their communities.

Labour, Conservative and Independent councillors voted to add another 10 per cent to the Panel recommendation, described as a an "e-government incentive".

The 34 members get a basic allowance of £4,105 a year. The IRP recommended this should be £4,347. But councillors agreed to raise this to £4,755 - about £55 more each month.

Councillor Nathan said "In times when people are having to put up with so many price rises, with petrol, heating, gas and other prices all going up, it is wrong for councillors to award themselves such a whopping pay rise.

"The 5.8 per cent rise proposed by the independent panel would have been enough."

Council Ebbatson said last night: "Our allowances have not been raised since 2003 - and they have always been historically very low compared with other authorities.

"What the IRP were proposing actually left councillors worse off.

"The total basic allowance imbeds the cost of phones so that councillors do not have to claim separately."

She added the extra cash was also intended to encourage councillors to have access to the internet at home to be able communicate with their constituents.

Coun Ebbatson said: "I think that if we want people to be councillors - and they are volunteers and have a sense of civic responsibility - it is important, as far as possible, that councillors are not worse off as a result of being councillors."