There has been an inflation-busting rise in the expenses claims of councillors sitting on Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

City councillors claimed £242,804 in the financial year to April 2006 for travel and subsistence, special responsibilities and other allowances.

This was £40,000 - more than 19 per cent - more than the financial year to April 2005.

Their county council counterparts claimed almost 10 per cent more compared to the year before - £818,491 in the 2005/06 financial year, £74,181 up on the £744,310 claim in 2004/05.

This means the expenses and allowance claims of city and county councillors topped £1m.

See tomorrow's Oxford Mail for details of what your councillor claimed.