The story recently of Councillor Morland costing our local doctors £130k plus would seem to require further explanation.

One does wonder how one councillor alone could have such an effect on an issue. This is something you should not come across in a democracy. Surely we need an answer.

The call for Councillor Morland to resign should be taken several stages further forward in this economic climate. I wonder how many of you know the following facts and thought that councillors were there for us.

In the year 2010-2011 Wiltshire Council had 99 councillors receiving £1,565,687.60 allowances (yes over one and a half million).

In addition they have 20 co-opted members who in total receive £37,564.60 in allowances.

A large number of these councillors are also on area boards and this seems to entitle them to an additional £3,000 to £5,000 per annum depending on their responsibility.

The most allowances paid to an individual councillor was £42,474.82 plus any other entitlements he may have received for the period.

Many individuals are Wiltshire councillors on the Area Board and Town and Parish councils, so are not always able to attend and therefore have conflicts of meetings.

There is an automatic annual increase, irrespective of any recession, services being cut, staff laid off and facilities closed down. One must bear in mind that most councillors also have full-time jobs.

I would propose that, especially now, we should reduce the number of councillors at least by half and cut the allowances from what will soon be £2 million per annum down to say half a million and use the savings to maintain services and staff. I do believe that where we vote for individuals what they receive should be published annually. We deserve complete transparency.

Bruce Evans, Lanhams Close, Westbury.