COUNCILLORS pocketed £686,488.67 between them last year - even though voters were forced to stomach another council tax rise.

An increase of more than £82,000 from the 2002-3 financial year saw leading councillors take home more than £20,000 each, including expenses. Ousted leader Bob Howarth picked up £33,908.46.

Although councillors have had their allowances slashed by 10 per cent for this year, next year's bill of £618,000 for elected members' allowances will still be around £344,000 higher than in 2001.

In 2001, every councillor netted a modest £5,705 for their work but the figure rocketed by more than £2,000 to £7,773 in just two years.

The 10 per cent cut will leave them with £6,995.70 - a net increase over three years of an inflation busting 23 per cent.

The cut was agreed by all parties to help keep this year's council tax rise to 3.9 per cent.

In addition, those with special responsibilities such as executive members, committee chairmen and opposition leaders receive extra payments worth as much as around £10,000 per year.

The latest figures show that last year Bob Howarth's deputy leader, Guy Harkin, who also lost his seat at the last election, was the second highest paid member, taking home £21,323.17, including expenses, which are shown on the figures for the first time.

Party leaders today insisted they were worth the money paid.

Council leader Cllr Barbara Ronson said councillors were not getting the levels of allowances recommended by the external panel and the council's executive posts had been cut from 10 to eight.

She added: "I realise that the public probably think that these figures are a colossal amount but councillors do this job full-time and have to lose work to carry out their duties.

"It is a changing world and being a councillor is an intensive job. Many lose out on the chance of being promoted in their day jobs because they are having to take time off."

Conservative deputy leader Cllr Norman Critchley said the workload of councillors had doubled over recent years because of central government requirements and said allowances should be subsidised from Whitehall.

"It's got to be borne in mind that because of the requirements imposed on us by central government that the time spent by councillors in their roles has doubled," he said.

"Of course the public will be concerned when they see it going up but if it was funded by central government the tax payer would not have to bear the costs."

Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris added: "When you look at all the local authorities we are some way below most of them."