AN angry town councillor has hit out at Stratford District Council for what he calls a "despicable" decision to axe Alcester's annual maintenance grant.

Councillor Chris Gough has slammed the council for refusing to take another vote on the decision to cut the town's landscaping allowance.

At a town council meeting on Monday, he said: "I have not found anybody who has been in favour of this and I feel they are totally out of touch with the district.

"I feel so strongly about this - this is one of the very worst decisions Stratford District Council has ever made and they will rue the day they made it."

The town council has benefited from up to £40,000 a year since 1972, when funds and responsibility for maintaining district council-owned green spaces and play equipment were transferred to the town council.

The district council decided last month to cut the grant but town councillors were hoping the matter would be reconsidered.

Mr Gough said: "I just wonder how far you have to go to get the district council to look again at something.

"All it meant was that district councillors would vote again - if they had passed it again, we would have accepted it. But I am totally convinced they would not have got it through again."

He added the decision was unfair and claimed the only way the town council could afford to foot the bill for the work would be to put up its precept of the council tax, which was "not acceptable".

At the meeting, councillors agreed to write to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and John Maples MP giving their views.

Stratford District Council was not available for comment as the Chronicle went to press.