CONTROVERSY over Selby councillors' salaries heightened today with claims that some members could be receiving the equivalent of £400 a meeting.

Tory leaders claim the number of members at meetings has nosedived since attendance allowances were replaced by new-style salaries, which are paid regardless of attendance.

The district council's 41 members claimed almost £40,000 over a recent three-month period after being awarded annual salaries ranging from £3,300 to £9,900.

Before the controversial change, in January, members had to attend a meeting to claim what was then a £17.50 allowance.

The council's scrutiny committee chairman Brian Percival (Con) said the new salaries had had a dramatic effect on the number of members attending meetings.

He said: "It's time we grasped this nettle because community representation on the council is not as good as when we got attendance allowances. Some members are also leaving halfway through meetings.

"I will be calling for an independent panel to be brought in to look at the impact that salaries have had. The results may or may not dispel claims that, if the present attendance rates at meetings continue for the remainder of the year, some members will be getting the equivalent of £400 a meeting."

Conservative group leader, Coun Mark Crane, said there had been a noticeable drop in the number of councillors attending meetings, which did not reflect well on local democracy.

He said: "In the past, all meetings were fully attended without exception. The problem now is that you can attend one meeting every six months and still pick up the minimum salary of £3,300."

Coun Wally Norton (Con) said: "I'm in favour of the old standard attendance rate. Giving someone £825 every three months regardless of attendance is nonsense."

Labour's Steve Shaw-Wright said: "I've noticed far more apologies for absence than there used to be, but there's nothing you can do about it.

"Some of us do a lot more for our money than others. It's up to each councillor's conscience and up to individual parties to sanction the slackers. "

Updated: 15:21 Thursday, August 29, 2002