Wallingford town councillors have turned down the chance to pay themselves allowances.

Town clerk Andrew Rogers had estimated paying councillors would add another 2.5 per cent to residents' total council tax bills.

Member Denis Strange said: "We should carry on doing our council work voluntarily as we always have done."

The council resolved to take no action.

Payment for councillors on district and county councils was introduced when the present system was set up after local government reorganisation in 1973. Before that no councillors were paid anything except expenses.