MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon has promised to hand over his allowance rise to help fund pensioners' seaside trips.

Mr Mallon said he felt uneasy about accepting the £4,000 increase at a time when hundreds of council workers in the authority were facing pay cuts because of a job evaluation scheme under way.

Instead, he pledged to use the money to fund summer bus trips to the coast for elderly residents.

It is expected that Mr Mallon's total allowances, which are agreed upon by an independent group, will rise to £62,260 this year. The mayor said that after tax and National Insurance payments, this would represent a rise of £4,000.

He said: "Even though this was an independent panel, not a council body, I did feel uneasy about accepting a rise at a time when there are some staff who are facing cuts."

A national review of council staff is taking place, which is likely to result in pay cuts for workers.

Mr Mallon said the idea of putting the money towards bus trips had been raised at community meetings he had attended this year.