Opponents of plans to close two council offices which handle £5 million a year in taxpayers' money are calling for the service to be provided elsewhere.

The cashiers' offices at Priory House, Brighton, and Hove Town Hall take payments for council tax, business rates, parking fines, rents, taxi licences, insurance and other bills.

About 1,300 people visit the offices each week but the council is closing the counters from May to save £60,000 a year.

Figures from Brighton and Hove City Council reveal Priory House and the town hall take about £3.3 million and £2.5 million respectively each year.

Opposition councillors have warned that the most vulnerable will be affected by the move and are calling for alternatives. Councillor Ann Norman, the council's finance head, said the local authority would be publishing details of how people can pay their bills by the end of the month.

She said: "We do not want to make it more difficult and complex.

"The Audit Commission has always said we do not get enough people on direct debit and we do not get the council tax in early.

"We do feel we need to modernise."

She added alternative arrangements for taxi drivers who want to pay for their licence in cash were being examined.

Labour councillor Les Hamilton, who raised the issue at a meeting of the full council, said: "Closing two offices at once is a bit over the top.

"If they close the cash office at Hove Town Hall they should have a till in the parking office."

Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Elgood said: "With the move of the Ship Street post office to Churchill Square many residents and visitors now have to go some way to use a post office.

"If the city council must press ahead with the controversial policy to close its cash offices, then they should think about using the space as an opportunity to encourage a post office back into this part of Brighton.

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