FURIOUS parish councillors have hit back at reports they were considering paying themselves for their efforts.

The August edition of the Durham City Labour Party newsletter, City of Durham Rose, said Belmont Parish Council was looking at taking advantage of Government rules that allow parishes to pay councillors an allowance.

Belmont was one of the parish councils in the Durham area that Labour lost to the Liberal Democrats in May.

The parish's new chairman, Dennis Southwell, said that at the first meeting of the Liberal Democrat-controlled council, members were notified of new regulations enabling payment of a basic allowance to the chairman or all councillors.

He said the council decided to see what other councils did and consider the matter.

Mr Southwell said at the July meeting, which two former Labour members attended as observers, councillors unanimously voted against the payment of allowances.

"All Belmont parish councillors work voluntarily on behalf of the residents and no member of the present council has ever claimed travelling or subsistence allowance from the parish - although entitled to do so.''

He said the chairman and vice-chairman of one Labour-controlled parish council in the area had received index-linked allowances for years.