SOUTH Hams councillors have voted to share the recession pain with their electorate — by freezing their council 'pay'.

For the second year running, district councillors have refused to take any increase in their allowances, the cash they get paid for running the council and attending meetings.

Cllr Nicky Barnes told fellow district councillors: "So many people are losing jobs and falling on hard times. It would be wrong for us to want or accept any increase."

This year, the system of allowances councillors are entitled to claim is costing taxpayers just over a quarter of a million pounds.

The latest decision means the basic allowance each councillor can claim will stay at £4,080.

The special responsibility allowances mean the leader of the council, currently John Tucker, will get another £13,000 on top of that while the deputy leader Bill Hitchins and the development control committee chairman Geoff Fielden each get another £6,000.

Other members of the council executive — Michael Hicks, Mike Saltern, Bill Carson, Jonathan Hawkins, Hilary Bastone and Michael Howarth — are each entitled to an extra £4,000.

Ms Barnes added: "It would be wrong for any member of this council to expect a rise in the forthcoming year."

Marldon district councillor Trevor Pennington said the district councillors should 'set an example' and he pointed to the ongoing scandal over the expenses of MPs who he criticised as 'having their snouts in the trough'.

Council leader John Tucker pointed out that many councillors make sacrifices both financial and otherwise to be part of running the district and that it is only right they should get increases in their allowances when the rest of the nation is enjoying similar increases.

"When the time is right it should be OK, but not now," he said.