A PROPOSAL floated at Burnley Council that money saved on members' allowances should be used to finance children's swimming lessons sank when it was discussed by the full council.

The overall budget for members allowances has not been increased for eight years and a slimming-down of committees resulted in a saving of £7,813.

That is being used to increase the basic attendance allowance of each member from £289 to £450 a year.

Lib-Dem leader Gordon Birtwistle said the money should be used to subsidise swimming lessons for the most deprived schools in the town.

Independent leader Harry Brooks added: "We ought to be able to demonstrate that the thing which is the least important to us is the money." And Conservative leader Coun Enid Tate asked: "What example are we giving to the people out there when we blithely give ourselves a rise?"

Council leader Stuart Caddy said he was amazed. Coun Brooks last year had moved a resolution that any increase should be self-financing and that is what they had done.

Opposition councillors were accused of playing politics by Coun Stephen Wolski who added: "The allowance has not gone up for eight years."

An amendment to use the money to pay for school swimming lessons was defeated on party political lines by 26 votes to 12 with two abstentions.