I COULD not believe my eyes - Worcestershire county councillors have awarded themselves a 40 percent increase taking their annual remuneration to £7,000.

Some days ago, I was talking to a county councillor who also happens to be a city councillor, who told me that since the county had adopted the Executive Committee style of leadership, they hardly attend one meeting a month.

If an average meeting takes five hours, multiply this by 12, which gives you 60. Add on a few hours here and there for constituency work, let's say on average another 60 hours per year, the total being 120 hours and then divide by £7,000. This equates to £58.33 per hour. It's good work if you can get it.

COUN G KIBBLEWHITE,

Worcester.