A local authority facing budget cuts of nearly £125m paid councillors more than £110,000 in travel expenses last year, it has emerged.

Labour-led Durham County Council, which is axing 1,600 jobs, shutting three leisure centres and considering closing 12 communal halls, paid £113,792 to its 126 elected members between April 2010 and March 2011, figures reveal.

Opposition Liberal Democrat Mark Wilkes branded the claims unacceptable and called for urgent reform, saying the cash would have paid to resurface 18 miles of footpaths.

Councillor Wilkes, who represents Framwellgate Moor and claimed no travel expenses, said the council’s 48.5p-amile top rate was “grotesquely unfair” while residents were struggling and questioned whether councillors needed to travel to County Hall so much, as they were given a laptop computer and mobile phone.

Councillors can claim for travelling to County Hall to “read official papers”.

Coun Wilkes called for the rules to be tightened, saying: “£113,000 is an awful lot of money. If you live near Durham, maybe you shouldn’t claim at all.

“Overall, perhaps you should only claim for attending specific meetings.”

Any reforms would require changes to the council’s constitution, approved by councillors.

Earlier this year, council leader Simon Henig said members’ allowances were on a par with comparable authorities in Bradford or Leeds and there were no plans to reduce them.

The top travel expenses claimant was Independent John Shuttleworth, who travels from Weardale, at £4,498.

Other high claimants included Labour’s Charlie Walker (£3,270), Brian Stephens (£3,112), Len O’Donnell (£2,777) and Jim Cordon (£2,721), Local Liberals’ John Bailey (£2,568) and Independent Paul Gittins (£2,549).

Durham county councillors received a basic allowance of £13,330, plus extra for having special responsibilities. Coun Henig’s leader’s role brought him an extra £36,575.

The council also paid out £8,734 in subsistence expenses, with Labour’s deputy leader, Alan Napier, the top claimant, at £1,141.

Labour cabinet member Bob Young had his allowance and expenses donated to chosen charities.

Last year, it emerged the council had paid £6.3m in travel expenses to staff in 12 months, prompting finance chief Jeff Garfoot to say the costs would be reviewed.

The council faces £123.5m of Government cuts over four years.