Taxpayers have trashed proposals to sell off a £100,000 car number plate.

Brighton and Hove City Council owns the CD 1 plate which came from the old Brighton Council when the mayor had the use of a Rolls-Royce.

The number plate currently adorns a seven-seater Seat leased by the council to ferry mayor Bob Carden to official functions.

On Monday, The Argus asked readers whether the plate, valued at £100,000-plus by dealers Registration Transfers, should be sold to pay for frontline services.

Most said no.

Diane Brady wrote: "£100,000 is like £1 in my pocket.

"It's small change to Brighton and Hove. The council should not sell the number plate."

Robert Norris, of St Aubyns Road, Portslade, wrote: "Many readers will remember the silver Rolls-Royce Phantom now replaced by a series of nondescript vehicles. Yet again, our heritage sold off to make a soon-forgotten political point."

Nick Phillips, of Lynton Street, Brighton, wrote: "CD 1 is one of the few remaining jewels left in Brighton's crown.

"It is also a tradition which should be kept for all time."

Sheila Kent, of West Drive, Brighton, adds: "Let's keep something from the past. Prestige is very important. Cut down councillors' expenses or chase up people who never pay their council tax."

A few readers said the number plate should be sold off.

Mrs J Bevan, of Cowley Drive, Woodingdean, wrote: "The council is pushed for cash so it should trade in its assets."

Mr B Jackson, of Middle Court, Burgess Hill, wrote: "Yes, use the money to get rid of the West Pier. It has been a damned eyesore for years."

CD were the original letters assigned to Brighton in the early days of motoring.

The council still owns another number plate H2 OVE, bought by the former Hove Council, but has sold the mayoral limousine to which it was attached.

Builder Andrew Wall, 32, of Overdown Rise, Portslade, had approached The Argus with the idea of selling off CD 1 to keep the council tax down.

He said: "The people who voted 'no' will be the first ones to moan when their council tax goes up."

Four years ago Green councillor Keith Taylor failed in a bid to get the council to sell CD 1 and H2 OVE to raise money to avoid having to cut services.

On hearing the results of our readers' poll, he said: "This shouldn't be about an ego trip for people who like wearing chains. The mayor does have an important role to perform but this kind of adornment has no place in city life.

"It's time to move on."

But Coun Carden said the number plate was part of the city's heritage.

He said: "The Greens will want to sell the Royal Pavilion next or my gold chain which goes back to the first mayor in 1854.

"People should ask how much county councils pay for their chief executive's BMW.

"We are pretty frugal with our Seat estate and would have to be really destitute to sell off the family jewels."

Conservative councillor Geoffrey Wells backed him.

He said: "The Greens say £100,000 would employ three social workers for a year. What would we sell off to fund them the next year?

"It wouldn't surprise me if the Greens put forward a motion for the council to replace the mayor's car with a tandem bike."