Calls to replace the council tax have been met with opposition by town representatives in Eastbourne who claim families would end up poorer.

Eastbourne Borough leader Beryl Healy called for an end to the tax, which she described as "unfair", at a full council meeting.

As a replacement, the Lib Dems hope to introduce a local income tax based on personal earnings.

But leaders of the opposing Tory group dismissed the proposal saying the average family could be hundreds of pounds worse off.

Councillor Graham Marsden, Conservative leader, said: "If you charge everyone who pays income tax in that way, the ordinary family who have two people working and paying tax could find themselves something like £600 worse off.

"A five per cent rise on top of basic income tax is more than £600 for the average family."

Stephen Lloyd, Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman, said the Royal British Legion was supporting his party's call to scrap council tax.

Getting rid of the levy, introduced under John Major in 1993, would stop the Government sending funding up north, depriving the south, he said.

Monday November 17, 2003