ALLOTMENT holders have hit out at councillors who failed to attend a public meeting about rent increases.

Gardeners renting plots at the Broom allotment site, in Ferryhill, invited members of Ferryhill Town Council to attend a public meeting to discuss rents, which have more than doubled from £12 to £28.20 while others sites are as low as £10.

Brian Gibson, who rents one of the plots, said: "Not one of those councillors bothered to show. It is disgusting."

He said a letter outlining next year's charges was taken to the meeting saying rent would go up again to £73.

Mr Gibson said many of the allotment holders are retired miners and if the charges are implemented some may not be able to carry on.

Jamie Corrigan, the council's executive officer, said councillors had not been given enough notice to attend the meeting.

He said every allotment holder was to be consulted on the future of the sites and no final decision on next year's rent levels would be taken until all responses had been considered.

Referring to the increase in rent this year he said it was because the council does not own the Broom site.

The council is charged £750 by the landowner, so rather than make all allotment holders pay for it, that has been passed on to those on the Broom site only.