City councillors claimed more than £800,000 in allowances and expenses during the last financial year, an increase of more than £32,000.

Details of the amounts paid to the 78 Brighton and Hove members have been published by the authority. The total is £812,363.

All councillors received a basic allowance of £8,000 for the full year and nine cabinet councillors received a special responsibility allow-ance of about £9,000 each.

Council leader Ken Bodfish topped the list and received a special responsibility allowance of just over £20,000, which made his total claim £28,980.

Council deputy leader Jackie Lythell received £17,290 and Labour group chief whip Brian Fitch £19,653, although this included £2,000 for his role as secretary general of the International Association of Peace Messenger Cities.

Among other senior Labour councillors: Ian Duncan received £18,000; Tehmtan Framroze £18,000; Sue John £18,014; Chris Morley £17,116; Jean Spray £16,996; Don Turner £18,247 and Frieda Warman-Brown £18,000.

Opposition Tory leader Brian Oxley received £16,115; Lib Dem leader Paul Elgood £10,000 and Green party convener Keith Taylor £9,811.

The £32,363 increase on last year's claims represents a 4.1 per cent rise. Last year, the figure rose by 39 per cent and in 1999/2000 it rose by 25 per cent.

The number of councillors will be reduced to 54 in 2003, which will cut next year's figure.

Councillor Lythell said the allowances were within the budget set by the authority.

Figures paid to councillors (rounded down to the nearest pound) were:

Kevin Allen £8,000, Linda Austin £8,029, John Ballance £9,095, Mark Barnard £8,101, Jenny Barnard-Langston £9,493, Simon Battle £8,219.

Gwenda Beishon £9,780, David Bennett £8,000, Jayne Bennett £8,000, Ken Bodfish £28,980, Betsy Brewer £9,780, Vanessa Brown £10,263.

Bob Carden £10,317, Simon Charleton £10,876, Rik Child £8,000, Denise Cobb £8,000, Steve Collier £8,000, Dawn Davidson £8,000.

John Drake (deceased) £7,643, Pat Drake £9,282, Ian Duncan £18,000, Andy Durr £8,904, Joyce Edmond-Smith £8,020.

Paul Elgood £10,000, Brian Fitch £19,653, Tehmtan Framroze £18,000, Lynette Gwyn-Jones £12,290, Leslie Hamilton £10,l79, Jacky Harding £10,000.

Pat Hawkes £10,039, Jack Hazelgrove £10,015, Alison Hermitage £10,000, Brian Hunt £8,062, Lynda Hyde £8,193, Heather James £8,883, Sue John £18,014, Susan Joy £8,000, Ted Kemble £8,158, Gerry Kielty £10,854, Steve Langston (deceased) £49.

Jeane Lepper £10,041, Peter Lewis £8,747, Jackie Lythell £17,290, Mo Marsh £10,190, Juliet McCaffery £10,000, Anne Meadows £9,995, Vince Meegan (new councillor) £6,443, Mike Middleton £10,011, Gill Mitchell £10,184, Chris Morley £17,116, Pat Murphy £8,972, John Newington £9,780.

Ann Norman £8,862, Brian Oxley £16,115, Garry Peltzer-Dunn £8,747, Roy Pennington £10,274, Brian Rowe £8,576, John Sheldon (deceased) £7,917.

Catherine Shelley £10,000, Christine Simpson £10,000, Dee Simson £8,000, David Smith £9,000, Jean Spray £16,996, Harry Steer £8,000.

Pamela Stiles £8,204, Keith Taylor £9,811, Carol Theobald £8,211, Geoffrey Theobald £11,635, Francis Tonks £8,219, Don Turner £18,247.

Stephen Wade £8,252, Betty Walshe £8,000, Frieda Warman-Brown £18,000, John Warmington £10,029, David Watkins £8,000.

Geoff Wells £9,000, Pete West £8,298, Peter Willows £8,000, Mark Worgan £8,000.