A CHRISTCHURCH councillor has apologised after suggesting colleagues were opposing super council plans in order to protect their allowances.

Borough residents have until next Thursday to vote in a local poll asking if they support Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole being united under a single unitary authority - the Future Dorset proposal.

In comments on the Facebook site Christchurch Rumour Control, Cllr Claire Bath said those councillors who sit on both the borough and county authorities “earned up to £30k in allowances and expenses last year”and adding “is it any wonder they are protecting their roles”.

She said this was responsible for “the scare tactics being put out by many TURKEYS DON’T VOTE FOR XMAS” and that some members were “eking out their pensions with the status quo”.

But yesterday evening Cllr Bath put up an apology and removed the posts stating: “They lack respect towards my colleagues. I apologise for any disrespect and harm caused”.

Christchurch and county councillor David Jones, campaigning for a ‘No’ vote, wrote to Cllr Bath saying her “unfortunate” statements “malign the motives of my county councillor colleagues and myself” and calling on her to send an apology letter to the Echo. He said he would not make a formal complaint but had sent her comments to the borough legal officer.

County councillors were also disgruntled by comments made by former Bath Travel boss Stephen Bath, Cllr Bath’s husband, in a letter to the Echo on Monday. He said: “It’s no surprise that all five Christchurch councillors who sit on Dorset County Council in Dorchester are all for keeping their positions, where they pick up an average of £20,000 a year each for a leisurely drive into the country once a month.”

Cllr Jones said Mr Bath had “greatly exaggerated” the value of allowances was “playing the man, not the ball”. “It is very disappointing that the ‘Yes’ camp, having spent the campaign raising false issues and resorting to frightening those receiving social care, are now resorting to personal abuse,” he said.

“It is clear they are aware of the tremendous groundswell of opinion against the Future Dorset proposal and know that they have lost the argument and so are resorting to the worst form of negative campaigning.”