Councillors in Worthing have mixed feelings about plans to more than double their expenses.

We revealed yesterday that members of Worthing Borough Council were poised to increase the amount of taxpayers' money going towards allowances.

An independent panel has said the current fund of £75,000 for all councillors should be increased to £155,500 after the council moves to a new Cabinet structure.

This would mean a basic allowance of £3,000 for councillors, plus up to £5,000 for extra responsibilities.

Tory councillor Andrew Garrett said: "The figures that have come forward have been determined by an independent remuneration panel.

"Individual councillors will still have the opportunity not to claim their money if they want to."

Coun Garrett, a self-employed builder, said the money should be available to ensure anyone who wished to could become a councillor, not only those that could afford to.

He said: "I do not believe that we should get into a system where people should make a political gesture that they do not claim their allowances.

"Nobody should feel excluded from standing as a councillor from a financial point of view."

Councillor Sheila Player, the Lib Dem group leader, said: "There does seem to be a huge disparity among the members' payments. I am shocked at such an increase myself and feel we should stick within the budget.

"I will be making some recommendations. For instance, there are extra amounts proposed for the chairmen of the standards and general purposes committee.

"The committee only met three times last year and twice the year before. One really has to be asking the question about vice-chairmen getting extra money as well."

Fellow Lib Dem councillor Christine Brown said: "I am not totally sure myself on the issue.

"I know councillors do a lot of work all over the place.

"I found I was doing 68 hours in an average month and I am not an exception by any means."