WITH the country in dire financial circumstances, it made disturbing reading to see the published figures of the amounts of allowances claimed by local councillors.

I’m sure many people losing there jobs and homes will be shocked as well.

It is especially worrying when the armed services are starved of public funds for equipment to do their difficult job, only to read of those with their hands deep in the public purse.

I hope these councillors can sleep at night. More so, can they look at themselves in the mirror and honestly ask, “Am I really worth half of what I claim?”

Ian Hunt, Pavilion Road, Worthing