THEY lost their chocolate biscuits after a public outcry and now they could lose their tea, coffee and sandwiches too.

A proposal to scrap the entire catering service, which costs Redcar and Cleveland taxpayers £67,770 a year in subsidy, will be put before councillors next week.

That would mean that not only would councillors have to do without their free cup of tea at meetings, which costs about £1,500 a year, but all council staff would have to do without their subsidised canteen and trolley service.

The catering service at Eston Town Hall, Redcar and Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar Library and Margrove Heritage Centre is currently provided by the education department which also provides school catering. Options before councillors include scrapping the service altogether, tendering it out to a private company or attempting to make in-house savings. If the service is scrapped, it would lead to the loss of seven jobs.

Chris Abbot, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, who was once instrumental in stopping councillors from having free chocolate biscuits, said he would be happy to give up his free cup of tea. He said: "I don't think councillors would mind but it's not a major saving. However there have been concerns from the public about the cost of catering and we have to make savings."

Labour's Dave Walsh, council leader, said a decision would be made at the council executive meeting next Tuesday. However, he stressed that cafes at Kirkleatham Museum and Redcar Library were popular with the public.

As well as free drinks at meetings, councillors receive free meals if they are detained on council business for four hours or more. For breakfast they can claim £5.20, lunch £7.10, tea £2.80 and dinner £8.80. No figures are available for the overall cost. At long council meetings sandwiches are made as it is cheaper than paying expenses.

The council made headlines across Britain in 1997 when a 14-year-old wrote to the council complaining that members received free chocolate biscuits. The authority banned the biscuits in the resulting furore.

The council executive will meet at Eston Town Hall on Tuesday to discuss the matter.