A COUNCILLOR who receives a monthly council allowance of £577.42 has only attended three council meetings since last August - a total of £1,154.84 per meeting.

Now MP Kevan Jones has called for the resignation of Coun Keith Murray-Hetherington, a Labour member of Durham County Council, for his poor attendance.

But the councillor, from Stanley, strongly defended his record of public service, stressing he had many other public commitments.

Council leader Ken Manton confirmed he had called Coun Murray-Hetherington into his office, but both men declined to say why.

In 1991, Coun Murray-Hetherington, a civil servant, became the youngest ever chairman of Derwentside District Council, at 26.

He is a magistrate, and has recently been appointed as chairman of Derwentside Primary Health Care Trust.

The trust, which came into being on April 1, gives its chairman between £10,000 and £12,000 a year.

But he has been accused of treating the people of Stanley with contempt by Durham North MP Mr Jones over his attendance record.

"It is an absolute disgrace that he receives this money. People who he supposedly represents work hard for much less than he appears to be getting for nothing."

Mr Jones added: "This is a man who not only doesn't attend council meetings, he doesn't hold surgeries and did not even turn up to his own election count.

"He should turn up or resign. He is treating the people of Stanley with contempt."

But Coun Murray-Hetherington defended his record as a councillor and said he was fully entitled to the allowances, although he confirmed that he had not attended the count of his own election and that he had not turned up to a council meeting in ten weeks.

He said: "I acknowledge that there might be some interest in my attendance, which is a matter of public record.

"I organise effectively a hectic and demanding workload to accommodate various demands on my time in connection with my work as a county councillor and chairman of Derwentside NHS Primary Care Trust, a magistrate and several other commitments."

The councillor, who served on Derwentside District Council from 1988 to 1997, had a majority of 2,055 at the last election.