COUNCILLORS have voted to increase their allowances by more than double the rate offered to ordinary workers - despite planning £18 million of cuts.

Opposition and union leaders have slammed a decision by Worcestershire County Council to increase members' allowances by 4.8 per cent, branding it "morally indefensible" and "outrageous".

Unions are still locked in a nationwide battle to increase the two per cent pay rise offered to council workers and the authority is facing £18 million of cuts over the next three years.

The council has already withdrawn funding for two outdoor education centres, including one in Malvern, saving the council up to £750,000.

Adrian Gregson, Unison branch secretary, said: "Certainly from the Unison perspective we think it's outrageous if councillors have voted themselves that kind of price rise yet the employees are not going to get anything like that. Employees will be very upset."

Worcestershire County Councillors voted to increase their allowance for the financial year 2007/08 by 28 votes to 26 despite Labour and Liberal Democrat members voting against it.

Labour members have since voted not to accept the rise and will instead take an increase in line with council staff, once that is decided. Liberal Democrat councillors are still decidiing.

The increase means that ordinary councillors will have their basic annual allowance increased from £8,396 to £8,800, the council leader from £29,928 to £30,364 and cabinet members from £15,360 to £16,097. Opposition leaders and the chairman of the planning and regulatory committee and the chairman of the audit and governance committee will be offered an increase from £9,062 to £9,497.

Tom Wells, leader for the Liberal Democrats, said councillors should not have voted in the increase at a time when the council was looking to make £10 million worth of "savage cuts" this financial year and £5 million the year after.

He said: "I think it's morally indefensible at a time when the council is pleading poverty and cutting services. The Labour leader John Buckley and I did not want to accept the increase until the local Government pay awards to staff which will probably be about 2.2 per cent."

Coun Buckley said: "The Labour Group has informed the council that we're not going to take the increase. We're waiting to see what the final settlement will be for staff."

The increase, which will now be backdated to April 1, followed recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel to boost allowances in line with the retail price index.

But George Lord, leader of the council, defended the decision.

He said: "My point of view is quite simple and logical. Over the past few years we have always accepted recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel which is independent.

"If councillors want to donate the money to charity they can and is the panel had been recommending something less we would have been accepting something less."