The thorny issue of councillors' allowances is back on the table next month after a decision to vote for a massive 126 per cent pay rise was postponed.

South Ribble's 55 councillors were set to vote on an independent panel's recommendations to increase the basic allowance from £1,500 to £3,400 last month.

But with staff, including Labour councillors, refusing to cross the picket line of July's Unison strike action, the voting was put on hold until September's full council meeting.

Council leader Margaret Smith said she felt the whole issue of councillor's pay should be in the hands of central government.

She said: "At the moment we are stuck with the situation and we have to make our own decision. It will be a free vote with no party whip so if the increase is voted against then we don't get it.

"My personal view is that if we don't grasp the nettle we are storing up the problem for later. We have got a moral duty, not for ourselves, but for those people coming in behind us because people may feel they cannot afford to put all their time in.

"You'll never earn a living in South Ribble from being a councillor but at least you should not be at a loss. I seriously think councillors are out of pocket at the moment and the independent panel certainly saw it that way."

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