Brighton and Hove City Councillors have claimed more than £780,000 in allowances and expenses in the past financial year.

Former leader Ken Bodfish, who resigned in January, was the top earner, taking £33,622.02 from April 2005 to March 2006.

His earnings were made up of a £10,450 basic allowance - the amount awarded to all but one councillor - and a £23,172.02 special responsibility allowance for his role as leader, a position he held until he resigned.

South Portslade's Sue John claimed £26,777.78, with her basic allowance bolstered by a £16,118 special responsibility allowance. Mrs John is listed as being a member of 15 committees.

A number of councillors claimed between £20,000 and £24,000, pushing the council's overall bill to £786,052.33, divided between 54 members.

Those claiming such sums were current leader Simon Burgess, Brunswick's Brian Fitch, South Portslade's Leslie Hamilton, Hollingbury's Pat Hawkes, Moulsecoombe's Anne Meadows, East Brighton's Gill Mitchell, Wish ward's Gary Peltzer Dunn, Brunswick's David Watkins and North Portslade's Don Turner.

The amounts paid to councillors, for what is supposedly a voluntary role, are often hotly debated. However, even backbench members are now spending upwards of 30 hours a week on council duty and most members believe taxpayers are getting value for money.

Central Hove member Jan Young says she spends about two hours a day going through council business, plus another ten or 15 hours a week attending meetings.

However, she was one of the lowest earners claiming just the basic £10,450.

A number of other councillors also claimed little or nothing, other than their basic amount Hanover's Bill Randall and Hangleton's Peter Willows added no special allowances or travel and subsistence allowances to their basic.

Stanford's Jayne Bennett was the lowest claiming councillor, claiming an £8,000 basic allowance and £200 for special responsibilities.

Coun Young said: "We do it for the community and because we want to give something back. We certainly don't do it for the money.

"If I did not have my own business to support me there is no way I would be able to live on just a council allowance.

"Most of us have to work full-time as well as carry out council business."

The amount paid out for councillors' travel and subsistence expenses was minimal. Coun Fitch topped the list with a claim for £2,051.99.

The Independent Remuneration Panel, which rubber-stamped the claims, said £2,000 of that was for his role as secretary-general of the International Association of Peace Messenger Cities which involves travelling.

However, most other councillors claimed little or nothing for travel and subsistence or put in claims for a few hundred pounds.

The expenses and allowances claimed by city councillors are among the highest in Sussex, mainly because the area is expensive to live in and because of the larger number of members on the council.

In neighbouring Worthing council the basic allowance for 2005 and 2006 was £3,600 per member.

Chichester District Council has a basic allowance of £3,377 for its members.

It is the third year in a row the overall amount paid to city councillors has risen.

Conservative councillor Peter Willows, 75, has been summonsed to appear before Brighton Magistrates' Court on August 11 on public order charges. It is alleged he told gay councillor Paul Elgood and the editor of G-scene magazine James Ledward that he thought homosexuals were paedophiles. Brian Oxley, leader of the Conservative group on the city council, said Coun Willows will continue with council business during the case